Rediscovered Hearts
by Lionchilde
Summary: The sequel to Fire and Water and Interlude. In this AU, Vala was able to ring back after destroying the Supergate. When the team goes missing offworld, it's up to Vala and Jack to find them. Or is it? Begins 5 years after Beachhead. DV, SJ COMPLETE
1. Between The Stones

**A/N:** This is the sequel series to _Fire And Water_, set in the third year of Daniel and Vala's marriage. In this AU, Vala was able to ring back after destroying the first supergate. This fic is still "my baby" as it was my first attempt to write an epic. Reviews are appreciated. I don't bite. (much) Thanks in advance. 

Note 2--No, it's not a mistake. The first chapter cuts off exactly where you don't want it to. I'm horrible, I know.

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**Between the Stones**

Dear Vala,

I hope you can read this. Sorry my hands are shaking so much. It's so cold that if I wasn't biting my fingertips to keep the circulation going, I wouldn't be able to write at all. At least we're out of the wind now. It's like knives--drives straight through your clothes, no matter what you're wearing.

Anyway, sorry. I have so many things I want to say, and I don't have time or paper. But if Sam can't get the 'Gate working, we may not make it back at all. I have to try. First I need to tell you that I'm sorry I went behind your back and got Landry to pull you from the mission. It was wrong; I guess I just felt like if we were gonna do this, I needed to know you were safe. Somewhere. I'm sorry I won't be there with you tomorrow, too.

Shots from the Al'kesh up there are getting closer. This whole place is shaking; the roof may come down right on our heads. I have to go help Sam. Know that the last two years have been more than I could imagine. Know that I love


	2. Uncovered

The only sound in the room was the crunch of the paper disappearing as her hand tightened around it. Everything suddenly seemed too hot--and too cold--all at once. In an oddly detached way, she realized that her lungs were straining for breath, but nothing she did could force air past her lips.

"Vala," Jack's voice from light-years away. Both he and Landry rushed toward her, but it was Jack's hands she felt on her shoulders, Jack's arms trying to steady her as she stumbled backwards. She missed the chair--or it rolled out from under her, something--she wasn't quite sure. She wasn't sure of anything but that he wouldn't let her fall. Landry had reached by them and quickly grabbed the chair as Jack guided her into it.

Slowly, he knelt in front of her, his hands clasping her wrists. "It's all there was," he said again. "The Tok'ra found it in the ruins; stuck between some the stones at the base of a…pillar…thing."

"No bodies," Landry added from behind her as he squeezed her shoulders. "If they had still been in there when the roof fell, we'd have bodies."

"Then--" Vala stammered, shaking her head in dismay. Half a page scribbled on the back of his notes? All she had left? No. No, it was--incomprehensible. But Jack seemed to think the team had escaped…

Her mouth fell open and she drew a gasping, shaky breath. The air was still too hot. Yet, at the same time, she felt herself shaking with a cold so shattering she might have been trapped in that temple with Daniel when the roof fell.

_…It's like knives that drive straight through your clothes, no matter what you're wearing…_

_  
_

"If Daniel had time to hide it somewhere, they must have had time to get out," Jack said firmly, his tone finally penetrating her shock.

"Why hide it then?!" she cried, ripping her hands out of his grip to leap back out of the chair. "Why not take it--why--"

"We don't know yet," Landry said with quiet conviction. "But we're going to find out. I promise you. We're going to bring them home."

_"How!"_ Vala cried, throwing up her hands. "We don't even know where they went!"

"We'll find them!" Jack insisted.

Vala started to speak and spun away. She stood rigid for half a breath then raised her fist against her forehead as her shoulders began to shake. "I have to go--Jack--we were supposed to--"

"We'll go, then," he said instantly, two quick strides meeting the distance between them as his hands closed on her arms.

"--in an hour," she finished brokenly.

"We'll go," he nodded, awkwardly turning her toward him. His arms slipped around her, and she slowly let herself rest against his chest. "'Course you have to promise not to shoot me if…" he added.

Vala gave a snort of laughter, but it quickly disintegrated into tears, and Jack sighed heavily. His eyes closed tightly for a moment, and his hand moved hesitantly up to rub her back as she cried.


	3. Not Alone

"You ok?" Jack asked from where he sat hunched over a half-folded crossword puzzle book. Vala jumped, startled, and twisted to look at him. She nodded unconvincingly, forced a smile, and then stared back at the wall she'd been examining since the nurse had finished the random vitals check half an hour ago.

Jack sighed and shoved his fingers through his short white hair. After the interminable period--several millennia at least--that she'd spent staring at the floor in the main infirmary, he would have expected her to be climbing the walls. Or yelling. Or something. But the truth was, he'd been the one who did most of the floor-staring anyway. Vala seemed lost in her silence--so much so that she didn't even seem to realize how awkward this whole situation should have been. The two of them sitting in Dr. Lam's office together while Carter and Daniel were…whatever they were…the potential for awkward silence was just immense. He opened his mouth, searching for something to say that might ease the fear and guilt in her tight, drawn, colorless expression. There was nothing that could, though, and they both knew it.

Maybe keeping himself focused on Vala was just his means of self-distraction anyway? Or maybe he was just over thinking. After all, she was his best friend's wife. Did there have to be some deep-seated psychological reason for his wanting to help her? Maybe he'd just been hanging around with Daniel and Carter for too long. The two of them, always analyzing everything to death…

Damn it, _why_ hadn't she been able to get the 'Gate up and running? She _always_ found a way to make things work. She was too stubborn not to. Of course, there had been that whole Antarctica thing. But that didn't count, really. Hypothermia had started to set in; she wasn't thinking clearly, and she'd had no reason to ever think some idiot Ancient would get the bright idea to stick a Stargate in the middle of Antarctica…

That and she'd been too busy being worried about him--trying to keep him alive. Out of her own sense of duty and honor, of course. Hell. She'd been distracted by _him_, plain and simple. Just like he'd been by her. Even now, he could feel her against him in the dark that night. Her breath on his face; her body the only warmth left in the universe, trembling against him in the mind-numbing cold…

He closed his eyes tiredly and rubbed his eyes with the tips of his fingers. _Of all times…_he sighed to himself, realizing where his mind was. Again. Now it was Vala's turn to look concerned, and as she moved her head to watch him, her hand slid over to rest on his. Eyes widening slightly, he stared at if for a few breaths and then looked up at her, half expecting to find some flirtatious expression. What he found, though, was solemn and surprisingly candid compassion.

_How'd she…?_

The motion of the door cut off his thoughts, and the dark haired young doctor poked her head inside with a strained smile of greeting. "Morning, Vala…" she started as she came inside. "General O'Neill."

Jack half stood to take the hand the doctor offered. As he sat down again, she slid onto the edge of her desk and looked down at the clipboard in his hand. A troubled expression began to spread across her face and the last of Vala's façade crumbled. Jack's arm moved around her shoulders as Carolyn said softly,

"After all the time you two have been trying, I'm really sorry Daniel's not here to see these results. It looks like you're a mother..."


	4. I've Been There

Daniel swam slowly, reluctantly back to consciousness, aware first of the dull ache at the back of his head. Next came his arms, which felt like lead weights hanging awkwardly off of his shoulder joints. They were suspended above him, but the chains offered no support, leaving their full weight to strain his exhausted neck, back and shoulders.

"Good morning, Dr. Jackson," said the menacingly soft-spoken tone of his captor. Daniel squinted, still trying to make out a face in the shadows.

"Where--where's my team?" he demanded, suddenly realizing that Sam, Teal'c and Mitchell were no longer in the cell.

"Don't you think this would go better if we tried to help one another, Daniel?" the voice asked conversationally. "Now, I recall asking you a question yesterday. About Vala? You remember…"

"Go to hell," Daniel spat.

"I'd rather not," the voice said thoughtfully. "You see, I've been there."

------

The door banged open and Jack spun away from the window, red phone still in hand. Vala charged into the office with his secretary still pulling on her arm. Jack resisted the urge to tell the woman that if she didn't let go she was probably going to find herself missing an arm soon. Raising his free hand to massage his temples, he crossed the floor to his desk and cleared his throat into the phone.

"I'll call you back," he said, then dropped the phone into its cradle with a wince. "Mr. President."

"I'm sorry, General, she…" began the secretary.

"That's fine, Nancie," he said, walking slowly around the desk. Nancie eyed Vala for a moment longer, then reluctantly backed out of the room.

"Vala…" he started, shaking his head. "Y'know, you should be home. Resting. Or some--"

"I don't need rest, Jack!" Vala fired at him. " I need to find Daniel! Now!"

"We're all working on it…"

"That ransom message came in from the Lucian Alliance nearly a week ago!" Vala exclaimed. "I'm tried of sitting here while you and Landry do nothing--"

Jack spun suddenly toward the desk, waving his arm angrily at the phone he'd just hung up. "Who do you think I was on the phone with? Santa Claus? There's a standing policy in this country that we don't negotiate with terrorists."

"Then where's the extraction team? _You_ pulled him out of Honduras…"

Gritting his teeth, Jack turned around again and glared furiously at the accusation in her tone. She had a right, of course. There was nothing he wanted more then to lead a team through the 'Gate to save SG-1. His team. They'd always be his team…

"Let me ask you again," he said. "Who the _hell_ do you think I was on the phone with?"

"Look," Vala shook her head. "Let me go. I've been there, I can get them out myself…"

"I can't. Not without the President's say-so. Besides, Daniel would kill both of us--"

"Not if he's _dead_!" Vala shouted back. "Landry I almost understand, but you--!" she shook her head, leaving the statement to be completed with any of a hundred reasons why Jack O'Neill wouldn't leave his team behind. "If you don't give the order, I have other ways, you know…"

"You got a ship?" Jack asked dubiously.

"I can get one," she nodded.

He closed his eyes, shaking his head firmly. "No. No, Vala, I'm sorry. I can't let you go alone."

"You don't have a choice!" Vala vowed with a glare of her own.

"Then I'll just have to go with you, won't I?" Jack asked flatly.


	5. Going Back

Nick Ballard waited apprehensively in the Cheyenne Mountain infirmary. His fingers tapped out an offbeat rhythm against his thigh, then switched to a steady drumming against his arm, then switched back again, but there was no appearance by the doctor. What was her name? Lam. Not as pretty as the other one had been, he thought, then shook his head at himself and pushed off the edge of the bed, walking over to examine the contents of a half open supply drawer.

"Mr. Ballard," Carolyn said as she strode briskly back into the infirmary. Nick slammed the drawer and spun to face her, plastering an innocent smile on his face. Dr. Lam rolled her eyes and glanced briefly down at the clipboard in her hand. "Apparently, the general's been delayed. Again," she went on. "But, on a brighter note, I don't see anything here that would prevent you from going back…according to Dr. Kennar, your psychological profile actually shows a marked improvement. But you knew that, didn't you?"

Nick smiled a little, pursing his lips thoughtfully. "Well, that's…encouraging…" he nodded. "But I don't think I will be returning…"

Carolyn's eyes widened in surprise. "But I thought the Heand specifically asked…"

Nick nodded again. He'd spent nearly eleven years now with the aliens that he and SG-1 had encountered on P7X377--a people who, he discovered, called themselves the Heand. The "improvements" Dr. Lam had mentioned in his health were, in fact, the result of certain experiences he had come here to relate to General Landry--and, he'd hoped, to Daniel. It seemed, though, that his grandson was missing, and this time the problem was not something as innocuous as having been rendered invisible by Heand technology. To make matters worse, Vala and General O'Neill had disappeared as well, apparently gone off on an unauthorized rescue mission…

"They did," he said in response to the doctor's question, "but Daniel and I have…more catching up to do than ever…"

"I see," Carolyn said with a stiff nod as her father appeared in the doorway. "Going to make up for some lost time, then?"

"Mr. Ballard, I apologize…" Landry said, bustling in hurriedly and extending his hand.

"Quite all right, General Landry," Nick said as he took the hand the general offered. Looking back at the doctor again, he shook his head slightly. "Sometimes I think there is no way to make up for time lost. I can't go back to the past. All I can do is to be here now."


	6. Doubts

Generally, I hate songfic, but a friend of mine asked for this, and so here it is.  
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She was singing along before she realized what she was doing. Softly, under her breath, but still singing, with her mind full of sound and sensation triggered by the song. The house warm and fragrant with the rich aroma of baking bread and simmering gravy. Her own voice, shrill with childish excitement as her feet tore across the old green carpet.

_"He's coming, he's coming, he's--"_

_ "Here!" cried the Hank Landry in her memories, bursting through the door. Four year old Carolyn flung up her arms as he swept her off the ground._

_"Guess what's for dinner, Dad!" she went on, and he looked quickly toward the kitchen, feigning surprise, taking a long sniff._

_"Mmmmm…Mashed potatoes!" he exclaimed. "You know what that means!"_

_ "Uh-huh," Carolyn nodded, and he danced her off toward the kitchen where her mother was cooking to celebrate his long-awaited return. As he spun around the island counter and bent to kiss her upturned mouth, father and daughter chorused, _

_  
_

"_Gimme (gravy)_

_On my mash potatoes_

_Gimme (gravy)_

_C'mon an' treat me right_

_Gimme (gravy)_

_Baby, you're the greatest_

_So gimme, gimme, gimme, gimme, gravy tonight…"_

_  
_

Sighing in disgust, Carolyn reached out to stab the next present button on the radio, then let out a hiss of frustration as the car chose that moment to sputter and slow. Her eyes flicked to the dash and she grit her teeth, realizing that she'd neglected to stop for gas that morning.

"Nice, Carolyn," she complained as she guided the car onto the shoulder. "Really nice."

She tapped the radio button and leaned her head back against the seat, mentally running through a list of people she could call. It was, she realized, pathetically short. A couple of infirmary colleagues, the guy who'd finally convinced her to let him take her to dinner last week, and…

"No," she shook her head determinedly as the chatter of the commercial segment faded into the opening of another song. It was vaguely familiar, but she was only half aware paying attention, listening hopefully to the muted ring of the phone. As the automated voice mail prompt began, though, she heard,

"_When the sun goes down and it's getting late_

You say it's time for bed

She just takes her time

Acting like she never heard a word you said

Little baby wanna hold you tight

She don't ever wanna say good night

She's a lover, she wanna be Daddy's Girl…"

…and steeled herself against the sting of sudden tears as she left her message, Despite her current relationship with her father, there was a nostaligic element to the Peter Cetera song that she found difficult to resist. Sighing, she quickly thumbed the second number and waited through the rings. Again, voice mail, and she wondered if she were the only one on earth who spent her evenings at home…

"_When the morning comes_

And it's time to go start another day

She won't let you leave, and she does her best

To try to make you stay

Pretty baby gonna start to cry

She don't ever wanna say good bye

She's a lover, she wanna be Daddy's Girl…"

What was it Daniel's grandfather had said that morning? _I can't go back to the past. All I can do is to be here now._ That was the essential problem, though. Would he be? Or would there be some crisis that left her stranded again?

"_She don't ever wanna be without you_

Never have to worry, she won't doubt you

Then she puts her head upon your shoulder

Says she marry you when she get older…"

Stubbornly blinking to clear her blurred vision, Carolyn dialed the third number. Never have to worry, she won't doubt you…where had that four year old gone? The one who never doubted…who knew…knew that he would come bursting through the door again. The only answer she found was the lonely ringing on the other end of the line. Quiet. Cold. Incessant. Empty. Without even the mercy of voice mail to cut it off. Finally, she lowered the phone from her ear, staring at it through streaming tears as the ringing accompanied,

"_When the time has come, and she's old enough_

To be on her own

She won't understand why you're feelin' sad

Cause she's leaving you all alone

Little woman gonna make you cry

You don't ever wanna say good bye

She's a lady, she'll always be Daddy's Girl…"

She swiped at the tears with her free hand and drew a shaky breath. Her fingers hesitated on each digit, but finally the direct line to his desk began to ring. Once. Twice. Carolyn took another breath, willing her voice to sound even and controlled. The third ring began. Halfway through the fourth, she knew, there would be a pause and his voice mail would pick up. Her free hand clenched and she bit her knuckle as her vision started to swim again. The fourth ring stopped, and she whispered a curse as Peter Cetera sang on,

"_Little woman gonna break your heart_

Gonna miss her when you're both apart

She's a lady, but she'll always be Daddy's Girl…"

"Carolyn?" her father asked in confusion. "Sorry, I was on my way out…"

"Dad!" her eyes bulged. Her face flushed hotly and she stammered on. "I--I-I'm stuck…"

Okay…" he said slowly, uncertainly. "Are you--all right?"

"Yes--no--I don't know…"

"All right," he said quickly as the song faded. "I'll be right there."

_She'll always be Daddy's Girl_

She'll always be Daddy's Girl…


	7. White Knights

Regarding the spelling of "Lantesh/Lantash"--I've seen it both ways and just happened to pick the one that seems to be least popular in the fandom. I went back and tried to change them all post-publication so people would stop asking who "Lantesh" is, but there may still be an occassional Lantesh in here.

Oh! Note #2--Yes, I'm aware that Jacob is dead in canon. All of the folks who helped me with the plot are fans of Dad and Selmak,so I broke my cardinal rule and made him alive simply because it would make me and fellow fans happy to do so. In my defense, I think I'd planned on doing some follow up stuff with Sam and Jacob to explain this particular divergence from canon through flashbacks in Beyond Breaking. Stay tuned.  
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The two men emerged from the Tok'ra tunnels under cover of the sandstorm and moved quickly--or as quickly as possible--toward the transport rings. Neither spoke. The driving wind and sand made speech all but impossible, but there was little that needed saying now.

Jacob stumbled, pitching forward, and threw out his hands to break the impact. Squinting to see through the grit, Martouf turned, fighting his way back, and reached for the older Tok'ra's arm. As he pulled Selmak's host to his feet, his arm moved around his shoulders for a moment, steadying him until Jacob nodded that he was all right.

"All I have to say," Jacob managed as they reached the rings, "is Jack and Vala better be on time…"

Martouf nodded agreement and bowed his head, surrendering control to Lantash, who looked up at Selmak pensively. //"Are we going to tell them about Jade and Simone?"//

//"Not if we don't have to…"// began Selmak as the rings shot up over their heads and both men were engulfed in white light.

------

"Jacob!" Jack exclaimed as the Tok'ra appeared on the ring platform. "Martouf," he added with a slightly awkward nod.

Martouf nodded back as they stepped down and Jacob extended a hand, which Jack quickly leaned forward to clasp. "General O'Neill," he said. "Appreciate the timing…"

"Yeah, let's hope we can keep that up," Jack said, turning to lead the way up the hall toward the cockpit.

"How soon until we reach Lucian Alliance space?" Jacob asked.

"One more stop to make first," Jack replied. "On Dakara."

The Tok'ra paused, turning to one another, and Jacob let out a large sigh. "That's…gonna be a problem," he said reluctantly.

"Why?" Vala demanded, looking over her shoulder from the cockpit.

"We've had reports that Brannen's gotten a hold of an unspecified but large quantity of symbiote poison…"

"Oh, great--'unspecified but large'--why can't it ever be 'unspecified but small and probably harmless'?" Jack sighed.

Jacob allowed a small smile, continuing, "A Tok'ra operative was assigned several months ago to penetrate Brannen's compound, determine where and how much of the poison he's accumulated, what his plans for it are, and, if possible, who supplied it. Unfortunately, Jade's cover may have already been blown…"

"May have?" Jack repeated, frowning intently.

"If Brannen suspects a spy, he won't act immediately," Vala spoke up. "He'll toy with her for a while, keep her wondering whether she's really been discovered or not…"

"Well, let him keep toying, then," Jack shrugged. "Bra'tac's waiting…"

"No," Vala agreed quickly. Jack's mouth dropped open in surprise, but she went on hurriedly, "He tends to get tired of that game rather suddenly. And if he does know Jade is Tok'ra, he _will_ kill her…"


	8. Trapped

Peering through the trees, Jade suppressed a smile at the banter. Even in a crisis, SG-1 seemed to have a comfortable familiarity with one another that made the circumstances less ominous. It should have surprised her, but it didn't, as it rather reminded the Tok'ra host of her own relationship with Simone.

"I'm telling you," Mitchell was waving his arm expressively as he tramped along behind Teal'c. "It's the most annoying feeling ever. Every step you take, all you feel is this squish… squish… I can't believe I got a hole in my boot anyway…"

"Nor can I believe that you've chosen to speak of nothing else since we crossed the river," muttered the Jaffa warrior without turning.

"Yeah, well, of all the times to find out," Mitchell responded. "I mean, here we are, calf-deep in this freezing water, and my foot's getting soaked. I mean, what the--"

Teal'c stopped short, raising his eyebrow as Mitchell nearly ploughed into his broad back. A few feet away, Sam crouched on the riverbank, holding up a water-filled sample vial up to the sun. She turned to look at her teammates, suppressing a smile at Cam's discomfiture.

"Well, whatever kind of energy those poles are giving off, it's not affecting the water…"

"Great," Cam nodded. "Course it woulda been nice to know that before we went wading through it."

"Would you rather have had that bear thing take a bite out of your…" Sam started.

"No," he interrupted, rolling his eyes. "I'm just glad to know my leg won't be turning purple with polka dots or anything. Bad enough I'm gonna have to spend the whole afternoon with my boot going squish…squish… every time I take a step, let alone find out some funky alien water's gonna make me--what?"

Teal'c turned slowly, not speaking, and took a step toward the CO, whose eyes widened. Cam stepped cautiously back, his eyes shooting from Teal'c to Sam and back again. Still without a word, Teal'c hefted his commander over his shoulder and strode to the river's edge, where he flung the man out into the deep, rushing water.

"Whaddidja do that for!" cried Cameron as he pushed his way back to the surface.

"Perhaps you will now not notice the squishing of your foot, Colonel Mitchell," Teal'c replied, then turned to continue their hike.

Jade barely managed to stumble back far enough into the woods to avoid being heard before she burst out laughing. Leaning against a nearby tree, she hugged herself with mirth, relishing the image of Mitchell's stunned expression. She only allowed herself a few moments, though, before hurrying off after SG-1 again.

_//We were almost seen,//_ Simone's voice sighed in her mind.

_No we weren't,_ Jade insisted, sighing back. _I don't know why we're sneaking around like this anyway. We should be helping them, Simone._

_//Not if doing so compromises our mission,//_ replied the symbiote with the mental equivalent of a raised eyebrow.

_You're impossible, you know that?_ Jade retorted.

_//They seem to be doing quite well without our help//_ Simone replied.

_Yes,_ Jade agreed, _But unless Colonel Carter can figure out that all four generator nodes need to be disabled at once, Brannen's security drones will have them pinned before they can do anything to escape. And they still have no way back inside to free Dr. Jackson._

_//Brannen isn't likely to let him go, at least not until he has Vala back,//_ Simone observed.

_All the more reason for us to help…_ Jade broke off with a sigh, knowing it was useless to argue with Simone once the symbiote's mind was made up. _We could at least go down and make sure he's all right._

_//Very well, Jade,//_ Simone sighed indulgently. _//But be certain we are not seen on the way back into the compound.//_

Of course not…

//You like him, don't you?//

Who? Jade feigned confusion, picking her way carefully through the woods toward Brannen Daegar's base of operations.

_//Jackson,//_ Simone persisted.

_No!_

//Jade…?//

What? the host sighed.

_//I **am** in your head.//_

Shut up, Simone…

-------

Slipping back into the compound was relatively easy. An experienced mercenary like Brannen knew the value of having multiple escape routes, and Tok'ra were trained in the art of subterfuge as a matter of course. It hadn't taken Simone and Jade long to ferret out all of the fortress's secret tunnels and passageways, and aside from Brannen himself, there was probably only one person who now knew better than they did how to come and go unseen.

_//Which is well and good, since we are likely to need our own escape route soon,//_ Simone commented now.

_Shh!_ Jade said urgently, peering through the grate in the floor of Daniel's cell.

Brannen's boots crunched closer on the stone floor overhead and then stopped directly above her. Jade cursed, barely managing to slip her fingers back off the grate to avoid being stepped on.

"I really have to admit," the mercenary was saying. "I hadn't expected you to hold out so long. My dogs haven't dragged back your friends' dead carcasses yet, either, so we can safely assume they haven't been mauled by the game outside in the preserve. But your government hasn't even bothered sending a response…and Vala? Well, it seems she disappeared as soon as she realized I'd found her. You look surprised, Dr. Jackson. Did you really think she wouldn't run? Vala only stays anywhere until it's inconvenient."

"Has it occurred to you that she's on her way back here?" Daniel asked, his voice ragged with fresh pain.

"If that's what you think, you're deluded," Brannen laughed softly.

"You don't know her," Daniel's tone hardened. "You only saw as deep as she wanted you to see."

The only sound that followed was chilling metallic whisper of Brannen's hunting knife being unsheathed from his arm. Jade squeezed her eyes shut tight, her hands clenching into fists as he stepped off of the grate.

"If she's coming back," Brannen murmured coldly, "I don't need you alive, do I?"


	9. Arthur And Lancelot

He guessed it wasn't a very good analogy. Daniel would probably have spent an hour explaining why it didn't work. Lancelot had been Arthur's right hand man--his version of Teal'c. They'd been through all kinds of hell together, loved each other, probably would've died for each other without blinking. He and Martouf didn't have any of that going on. Throw in the fact that Guinevere had been Arthur's wife and the comparison pretty much went out the window. Still, that's what Jack felt like, staring across the ship at the man he knew still loved Carter as much as he did.

Martouf, of course, was free to do something about his feelings. In fact, he had for a while. Jack wasn't sure what had happened; he and Carter had by tacit agreement skirted certain aspects of their personal lives. What one didn't volunteer, the other carefully didn't ask.

"How much do we know about this Brandy guy, anyway?" he asked, turning toward Jacob.

"Brannen," Sam's father corrected. "Brannen Daegar. He's a mercenary. Apparently a very successful one, recently become a figure of some prominence within the Lucian Alliance. Seems he owns the planet we're about to land on."

"_Owns_ it?" Jack repeated.

"A large part of the Eastern continent is kept as his private retreat. The rest he leases out…mostly to smugglers, slavers…anyone needing somewhere hidden to set up an operation that authorities on other planets might not take kindly to hosting."

"Sounds like a real peach," Jack observed, then frowned for a moment toward the cockpit as the ship suddenly gave a strange lurch.

"Sorry," Vala's voice crackled over his radio.

"What happened?" Jacob asked.

"Nothing," she replied. "Hyperdrive hiccupped."

Jack's eyebrows rose as he asked softly, "Hiccupped…?"

Jacob spread his hands in a silent "I don't know," gesture, and Martouf only frowned in confusion.

"Listen, go take over for Vala, wouldja?" Jack asked Jacob. "She hasn't had much rest; I don't want her going into combat punchy."

"Yeah, sure," Jacob agreed. He started toward the cocpit, but turned back as he reached the door, looking cautiously from Jack to Martouf. "You two gonna be all right…?"

"We'll be fine," Martouf assured him.

"Just…great…" Jack agreed, flashing an ironic smile. Jacob sighed quietly, but walked off to relieve Vala in the cockpit.

Martouf kept his eyes on the other Tok'ra's back until Jacob was out of earshot, then stared thoughtfully down at the floor. "I…imagine she told you--"he began.

"No," Jack interrupted briskly. "She didn't."

"Ah," nodded Martouf, unsure of exactly where to take the conversation from there. He cleared his throat awkwardly, searching for words, but in the end found none that wouldn't exacerbate the tension.

"But…" Jack spoke up again with a resigned sigh, "It's not really important now, I guess. What's important is getting her back."


	10. Decisions

The cell door clanged shut, and Jade heaved back the rusty grate. It only lurched about halfway, but the space was enough to squeeze her thin frame through, though Simone gave a grunt of protest. Still chained to the wall, Jackson hung limp, all his weight supported by the old iron chains. For a man who valued technology, Brannen took strange delight in keeping his prisoners in such archaic and brutal conditions, she thought as she scrambled quickly off the dirty and now blood soaked stone pavement.

All the cells down here had been constructed so that the floor dipped toward the grate. It made for easier clean up, Brannan liked to say, and as she struggled to pull the pack from her shoulders, Jade finally understood what he meant. The blood would drain off through the grate, she realized, pulling the hand device out and fitting it quickly over her fingers.

// "This may not even work,"// Simone commented, eyes flashing as she assumed control. Her other hand tilted Daniel's head back with surprising care, and she began to inspect the gaping wounds that stretched across the entirety of the archaeologist's upper body. Brannen had visciously plunged the serrated knife into his victim's left shoulder and pulled down diagonally to his stomach, then turned the blade and slashed down to his hip before starting back up to close what looked morbidly like an hourglass.

_Just do it, Simone_, Jade urged, but the Tok'ra's eyes were already closing in concentration. The yellow-orange beam flowed out of the crystal at the center of her palm, bathing Daniel's bloody torso what seemed to Jade a long enough time to have healed four of him. Finally, though, Simone too, sagged against the wall in exhaustion, and her eyes didn't open.

// "It's all I can do for now…"// she said apologetically to her host. // "Too much internal damage; I'll have to try later…"//

A soft groan issued from the Tau'ri, and Jade slowly opened her eyes, assuming control again to let Simone rest. Daniel's eyes were half closed, though she could see him struggling to focus on her face. "Who…?" he managed weakly.

"Jade," she smiled reassuringly. "Host to Simone of the Tok'ra…"

"Tok'ra?" Daniel tried to pull himself upright and winced, slumping back again.

"Vala," he coughed. "Is she with you? I'm--"

"I know who you are, Dr. Jackson," she replied, her hand moving to his shoulder. "Try to keep still. Simone says your internal injuries aren't well healed and could reopen if you move around like that."

"My wife," he persisted, breath catching sharply in his throat. If there had been a rescue mission ordered, whether by the Tok'ra or the SGC, he knew Vala would have found a way to be a part of it, and the last thing he wanted was a confrontation between her and Brannen while the mercenary was in a violent rage. Daniel doubted he would actually kill her, but he would enjoy hurting her…badly.

"She isn't here," Jade shook her head. "Not yet. Simone and I were under cover in Brannen's operation when you and the rest of SG-1 were captured."

Daniel's eyes slid closed and he sighed, unsure whether to be relieved for Vala or worried for his teammates. A dull throbbing had begun in his temples, reverberating through his skull, but he allowed himself only a moment before forcing his eyes open again. "SG-1?" he asked. "Do you know where my friends are?"

"Outside in the preserve," Jade replied, biting her lip at the thought of the other Tau'ri.

"What's this…preserve?" Daniel asked, frowning. Brannen had mentioned it more than once. From the way the mercenary talked, he guessed it was some kind of private hunting ground outside the compound. Why the rest of SG-1 would be out there, though, he couldn't fathom. Of course, it might have been easier to think if the room wasn't spinning…

"The compound is surrounded by thick forest," Jade explained. "Brannen uses it to hunt exotic game he imports from other sectors of the galaxy. To keep the animals in, the ground along the perimeter is covered by an energy field. It can't actually be seen until something steps on it…" she broke off with a slight shudder, recalling just how close Mitchell had come to doing just that when the bear had attacked.

Daniel's eyes widened despite his exhaustion. Vala had never mentioned anything about a hunting ground…and she would have had to get through it. He doubted seriously that it was a new addition, and he wasn't sure he wanted to know why she would leave something so important out of the story…

"Animals," he murmured, frowning pensively. "Or people--Listen, can you help them? SG-1? You must know how to shut the force field down…"

"There's only one way," Jade replied. "There are four poles…generator nodes that need to be shut down in sequential order, clockwise from the east."

"That can't be true," Daniel shook his head, but before he could continue, a wave of dizziness sent him sagging toward the ground.

Jade moved quickly to support him, her arms sliding under his, and she bit her lip again as she looked up o find her eyes inches away from his almost impossibly blue ones. "Um…" she stammered. "Here--let me help you."

"Vala's gotten out alone," Daniel insisted as the Tok'ra carefully lowered him to the floor, though there was little she could do to make him comfortable with his arms still chained. He couldn't really even sit, but at least the slower descent had prevented the knife wounds from starting to bleed again.

"If that's true, I don't know how," Jade sighed. Then her eyes narrowed as she abruptly made up her mind. "But I will find out."


	11. Running

She could still feel the cold point of the blade as it pressed, first lightly, almost playfully, into the back of her shoulder. Vala squeezed her eyes shut tight, determinedly clenching her teeth, but just as Brannen's knife had pushed a cry from her fourteen-year-old lips, the memory now forced a hot tear out from behind each of her closed eyelids.

His sour, alcohol soaked breath beat against her neck as the serrated blade cut out the now familiar hourglass. "So little time, Vala," he murmured in a strangely casual tone. "Every second we waste just drips away…like blood from an hourglass."

If she'd needed further proof of just how insane Brannen Daeger was, that image would have been enough. _Blood from an hourglass._ The child Vala shuddered as the scene she'd just witnessed flashed through her mind again. Voss tied to the tree outside, huge, terrified eyes locked on the gleaming blade as it drove downward, tearing its way through the meat of his shoulder. Then the screams began as Brannen carved out the effigy of his obsession on her brother's body.

"Never run away from me again, Vala," Brannen had warned. "Because it won't be you. It will be Danira…or Meagain…or whoever else you care about. Never you."

But she had run, finally. Once Danira was safely away, and Meagain with her, Vala had run. Because she had, now Brannen had Daniel.

The door opened behind her and she furtively wiped the tears from her eyes, then turned to face Martouf.

The Tok'ra's naturally kind expression deepened with concern, but her eyes flicked away uncomfortably, and he said only, "We're entering orbit."

She nodded and quickly slid past him into the hall, moving with determined and unfaltering steps toward the ring room. Jack was already there when she and Martouf walked in, his eyes running over his p90 in a final check that was almost casual in its obvious expertise. He glanced up, immediately frowning.

"You sure you wanna do this?" he asked. "You can stay up here…"

Vala's expression hardened silently as Jacob made his way in from the cockpit. "Autopilot's set…we're behind the moon, which should prevent our detection…" the elder Tok'ra began, breaking off to look questioningly from Jack to Vala and back again.

"All right, dumb question," Jack admitted, his hand moving to her shoulder for a moment before he led the group into the ring platform.


	12. The Difference Between

He wouldn't admit it, but as the day wore on, Cam was actually glad that Teal'c had thrown him in the river. With the sun beating down on them, even the Jaffa was beginning to show signs of being affected by the heat. It would have helped if there was something to do other than to sit around watching Carter pull apart that transmitter pole. There wasn't, though, and she'd been at it for a good hour.

"I think I know how to shut it down," she said finally, and both he and Teal'c sprang to their feet. "It should, at least turn off a section of the force field to let us through…"

"Wait!" puffed a breathless voice as a young blonde woman shoved her way through the brush at the edge of the clearing. Her foot caught on a root and she did an ungainly jig, trying to keep her balance as SG-1's weapons automatically rose.

"It's all right, she's Tok'ra," Sam spoke up a moment later, frowning slightly as she searched through the echo memories she still retained of Jolinar for the names of the host and symbiote.

"Tok'ra?" Cam's eyebrows rose.

"Jade," the woman said quickly, "Host to Simone…hello, Colonel Carter."

Sam nodded, starting to say something else when Cam cleared his throat.

"You…wanted us to wait?" he asked.

"Yes," Jade nodded emphatically. "Colonel Carter, all four transmitter nodes need to be shut down in sequential order or you'll alert Brannen and risk releasing the security drones he has hidden in these woods."

"Okaaay," Cam said slowly. "And you know this how?"

Jade's head bowed briefly, and her eyes flashed as she looked up again, signaling that her symbiote had assumed control.

//"Jade and I infiltrated Brannen's operation posing as a mercenary several months ago, Colonel Mitchell. Devising countermeasures for his security was one of our first objectives.//"

"Great," Cam sighed. "So how do we shut them all down in order? How do we even know what the right order is."

//"Brannen is obsessed with the concept of time,"// Simone replied. //"I believe the nodes should be shut down in a clockwise direction, starting here, in the east corner."//

"You believe," Sam repeated. "You're not sure?"

//"We have had no need to test the theory, nor did we particularly want to risk alerting Brannen if we were wrong,"// Simone said with a slight frown. //"Although at present, when Brannen discovers Dr. Jackson still alive, any hope we had of salvaging our cover will be…"//

"What?" Sam and Cameron cried at once.

"Why would DanielJackson not be alive?" growled Teal'c.

//"Brannen stabbed him," Simone replied. //"Rather severely. I have done what I could with a hand device, but he _will_ require medical attention."//

"And you weren't going to mention that?" Cam demanded.

//"I thought it was more important to focus our attentions on disabling the security field," // Simone replied calmly.

"Right," Cam rolled his eyes. "You obviously have a way inside. Let's go."

//"It would be best not to move him, and we can always return after…"// began Simone.

"We are not going to just leave him there," Sam declared, shouldering her p90 and pushing past the Tok'ra into the brush she'd come out of.

Teal'c followed, immediately scanning the area for a hidden tunnel or opening. Cam regarded her with hard eyes for a moment, then walked past.

//"What do you intend to do once you have him?"// Simone asked.

"I dunno," Cam said flatly. "But we don't leave our people behind."


	13. Hiding

She hid it as long as she could. Danira and Voss helped…even little Meagain helped, though at six, she had no real idea what they were doing and why. But by the third month, she knew her mother had guessed. As Vala walked in from the docks that day, the troubled expression on the careworn face of Lene Mal Doran told her all she needed to know. 

"Brannen was here," Lene said in a voice raspy and hoarse from the perpetual cough. "He says he'd like you to keep house for him…"

"It's not a house, Mother," she folded her arms. "And that's not all Brannen would like."

Lene flinched, her eyes falling to the dust-covered floor. "Vala," she took a ragged breath. "Your father is not coming back."

The words felt like cold lead in the pit of the girl's stomach, but even as angry tears filled her eyes, part of her knew they only confirmed her own belief. And at fourteen, a fatherless girl with a mother whose thin frame grew paler by the week had few options. There were the younger ones to think of, too. The money was gone, Vala knew that much. Meagain's empty belly last night had already been enough to keep them all awake with her whimpering.

Not that Vala and Voss didn't know how to sleep on an empty stomach when they had to. Even Danira remembered from the last time their father had disappeared. Meagain, though…she'd hoped Meagain wouldn't have to learn.

Lene gave her a pleading look, which Vala returned with a hard glare, but then sighed, not quite able to muster the cruelty to force her mother to say what neither really needed to voice. Malnutrition had probably played a part in the girl's being a "late bloomer"--but now at least she could spare her sisters that ignominy…and others.

Brannen, she supposed, provided a measure of protection. Better one man than a crowd of strangers…

Thinking about it now, it still struck Vala as rather odd that she felt so little in the way of resentment. When Brannen returned the following month, she'd gone with him to his famed fortress, and if she'd considered it at all, she told herself that Lene had done all she could to secure a future for her children.


	14. How Far

  
The last time she had been here, the same question had beat an incessant rhythm in her mind. How far…how far to the access grid? Could she make it before whatever new nightmare Brannen kept out here had appeared? Before the dogs scented her and chased her down? Now the nagging question was just how far she intended to go…

"Hey," Jack's voice rasped close to her ear. "You sure this is gonna work?"

In answer, Vala bent to pick up a rock from the ground by her foot and tossed it next to the charred remains of the one she'd thrown a few moments before. With the force field now down, it bounced harmlessly into the grass. "See?" she asked, forcing her tone to a lightness she didn't feel.

"You'd think he'd have changed the code by now," Jack remarked. "He knows you got out this way, right?"

"Yes," Vala replied, starting quickly in the direction of the fortress. "But he's also psychotically obsessed with the passage of time. Which makes figuring out his override code rather simple when one understands how his mind works."

"And you do," Jacob observed. "How exactly do you know Brannen again?"

"You really don't want to know," Vala replied, lacing her voice with false innuendo. She pushed further into the woods, glad that her back was to the Tok'ra and he couldn't see her face.

It was almost two hours later by the time the group reached their destination, and as Jack and Martouf slid back the panel that led into the dimly lit kitchen, Vala had her answer. Behind them with Jacob, she heard the click and whine of charging energy rifles before she saw them.

"Damn," she muttered under her breath.

"I knew this was too easy," Jack commented.

"Welcome home, Vala," Brannen's silken tone spoke up, and her hands curled unconsciously into fists at her sides.

"Where's Daniel, Brannen?" she demanded, pushing her way between Jack and Martouf to confront the glittering, soulless eyes.

"Downstairs with the rest of SG-1," Brannen shrugged, spreading his hands in a gesture of goodwill. "They came back for him. Isn't that touching, Vala? I'll take you right now," he smiled, then waved to the guards, who quickly closed ranks around the intruders and confiscated their weapons before prodding them up the long hall after him.

"I think he was still breathing when I left, too…" the mercenary added thoughtfully. Vala lunged at his back, giving Jack and Martouf barely enough time to grab her by the arms before their captors stepped in to shove her back.

"He's just tryin'a bait you!" Jack told her urgently.

"Looks like I've succeeded," Brannen murmured with a soft chuckle as they reached the door that led down into the prison level.

"If you don't shut up," Jack snapped, "I'll gut you myself!"

"Oh, I'd like that, General O'Neill," Brannen laughed, his strangely hushed tone echoing eerily off the walls of the long corridor as he descended the steps. "I truly would."

The response chilled even Vala to silence, at least until they came to a halt outside the now rather crowded cell where Daniel, Jade, and the rest of SG-1 were all imprisoned. Jack didn't miss the fact that only Daniel was chained to the wall, and he felt his jaw clench at this latest evidence of Brannen's calculated cruelty. But, as the guards shoved them inside and Vala half-ran, half stumbled toward her husband, Jack's eyes moved to another member of the team.

Carter and Jade were both kneeling on the filth-covered floor beside Daniel, and she turned when the door opened. Jack's breath caught, but Martouf and Jacob unknowingly covered his discomfiture by rushing forward to grab her in their arms. Turning a swift glance on Teal'c and Mitchell, Jack cleared his throat.

"Everybody all right?" he asked.

"Everyone with the exception of DanielJackson, O'Neill," the Jaffa replied with a slow nod.

"Can I ask what you're doing here…sir?" Mitchell spoke up.

"What's it look like?" Jack asked. "We came to rescue you…"

"Guessing this would be a bad time to say, 'good job'…"

"So knew that was coming," Jack sighed.

"Shut up, the pair of you!" Vala snapped as her hands shakily moved to cup Daniel's face. Both men winced, and Jack walked slowly over to hunker down beside his friend.

"How bad is it?" he asked quietly.

"Bad," Vala replied, her voice cracking as Daniel's eyes slid slowly open. He smiled a little, but whatever he would have said was lost in a gurgling cough that brought tears to her eyes even as she moved to support his head.

"Simone's done just about all she can with the hand device, Sir," Sam spoke up quietly. "If we don't get Daniel to a doctor soon…"

Vala drew a breath and sat back, reluctantly letting her fingers trail off Daniel's cheeks. One hand drifted to his arm, and slowly traced its way down to his hand as she stood up. Their fingers clasped briefly and she turned to face Brannen, who still stood at the cell door.

"Let them take him back to the Stargate," she said stiffly. 

"Why would I do that?" Brannen smiled. "I think it would be so much more meaningful for you to watch him die…"

"If he dies, I guarantee you, man, you won't be far behind," Cam spoke up.

"Shut up, Mitchell," Vala sighed. "You'll do it because it's the only way you'll ever be sure I'll stay." 

"Oh?" Brannen's eyebrow rose with sardonic interest.

Vala drew a heavy breath and reached slowly into the bodice of her dress to pull out what Jack realized with a start were the bracelets she'd once used to biologically link herself and Daniel. Brannen's eyes widened with recognition, and Daniel let out a groan of protest.

"Don't…don't let her…" he managed, but by the time Jack had jumped back to his feet and moved to grab her wrist, the first bracelet clicked into place.

"Take him home, Jack," she said without looking back as she crossed the cell to Brannen 


	15. Glances

  
"I don't think so!" Cam exclaimed, quickly inserting himself between Vala and Brannen. Sam hurried to her side, turning her by the shoulder.

"There's got to be another way," she whispered.

"Daniel doesn't have time for us to find one," Vala shook her head, tears filling her eyes again. She blinked them back furiously with a pleading look at the other woman. Jack would have to be the one to give the order--he outranked even Mitchell here--but Sam would be the only one who could convince him to do it, to willfully leave her behind.

Sam's gaze shifted uncomfortably to the ground, and she bit her lip in frustration. Though she hated to admit it, she knew that Vala was right. She hadn't been exaggerating in what she'd told Jack a moment before. _General O'Neill_, she corrected herself automatically. If they didn't get Daniel to a doctor, he wouldn't last the night. Slowly, she looked up again, her eyes drifting back toward the archaeologist as she did. He could barely hold his own head up now, but somehow he managed to do so as she looked over at him.

_No_, the silent message passed between them as his blue eyes locked with hers. The look was intense, commanding, pleading all at once. _Don't let her do this._

_  
_

"Trust me, Sam," Vala whispered. It sounded hollow to her own ears. Trust me? She thought as her mind began to race. But Sam was perhaps the one person who would trust her in this case…aside from Daniel…Daniel trusted her even when he didn't.

_Don't…_

_  
_

But Sam's eyes were already sliding away, back toward Jack. It lasted only a second, but after so many years of meaning-laden glances, it was enough. Daniel, watching, understood as well, and pushed himself off the wall in a vain, frantic attempt to reach Vala.

"Dr. Jackson, don't!" Jade spoke up beside him, moving to hold him by the shoulders. Part of her found it rather amazing that he could fight her so much in his condition. A Tau'ri, of course, had no real chance of overpowering a Tok'ra, and he had to know that, but he fought nonetheless. And with the awkward position that he was already chained in, she realized, he was likely to seriously injure himself in the process. Her head turned quickly to look back at the others, instinctively seeking out her fellow Tok'ra. "Help me keep him still!"

Martouf felt his breath catch in the moment that the Tok'ra host's gaze met his own. He stood dumbly for a moment, before her voice cut through his confusion and he hurried to help her. Daniel had fallen back against the wall by then, still struggling, and Martouf thrust his hands quickly over Jade's to help her hold him down.

"Teal'c, help 'em," Jack barked.

Teal'c nodded understanding, moving with deliberate strides toward the wall where Daniel was chained. A hand landed on Jade's and Martouf's shoulders, and the Tok'ra eyed each other for a moment, wondering what exactly the Jaffa had in mind. Before either could speak though, Teal'c stepped between them, fist cocked, and said simply, "My apologies, DanielJackson," before a quick shot to Daniel's temple sent him crumpling into unconsciousness.

As she watched him strike, Vala winced and gave a sympathetic hiss. But her sigh was definitely relieved. This was going to be difficult enough…at least now he couldn't make it harder. She swallowed determinedly and turned back to Daniel's friends…her friends.

"Tell him…" she started, but broke off again, shaking her head. There were too many things anyway.

"We'll tell him," Sam nodded quickly.

"We're comin' back for you," Cam grit through clenched teeth before he stepped aside. Turning toward Brannen, the young CO's eyes narrowed furiously. "Count on it."

Brannen smirked, reaching to take the bracelet Vala held out to him. She jerked her arm back as his fingers brushed it, shaking her head. "Let them go first."

"Really," he sighed, flicking his hand in a silent command to the guards, who moved inside to unchain Daniel from the wall. "Have I ever broken my word to you?"

"I'd prefer this not be the moment you start," she replied, still holding back her arm until the Tok'ra had moved away and Teal'c bent slowly to lift Daniel off the ground. "Jack--" she started, shoving the fingers of her free hand back between her breasts.

_How much stuff can she fit in there anyway?_ Jack found himself thinking as she pulled out the worn scrap that the Tok'ra had so recently recovered from the temple where SG-1 had retreated to escape the Lucian Alliance attack. She pressed it into his palm, quickly folding his fingers around it.

"Don't do anything stupid before I get back," he said, looking down at his hand. "After I get back, now that's different…" his voice trailed off.

"Oh, will you be coming back for her too, General O'Neill?" Brannen asked in an eerily conversational tone.

"Yeah, well, Daniel's pretty much gonna kill me for this when he wakes up," Jack shrugged. "Figure coming back might help smooth things over. He glanced back over his shoulder toward Teal'c and the Tok'ra. "Let's go."

Sam nodded, her arm tightening around Vala's shoulders. Their eyes met again and she pulled the other woman into a tight embrace, touching the smooth coolness of her cheek to Vala's suddenly damp one. "We don't leave our people behind," she whispered. "Remember." 


	16. The Things We Miss

  
The car door slammed shut, and Carolyn crunched up the gravel walk to her apartment door. Her father followed hesitantly a few steps behind and paused as they reached the door. She let the purse drop down from her shoulder and fumbled in it for a moment, then finally closed her finges around the keys.

"Thanks, Dad," she said finally.

Landry nodded, offering a slightly awkward smile. "Remember the gas can next time…" he started to say, then winced as she rolled her eyes. "Sorry."

"It's ok," Carolyn sighed, fitting the key in the deadbolt. "You, uh, wanna come in for a minute?"

His eyes widened slightly, but he smiled again. "Sure…"

She nodded, clearing her throat a little uncomfortably, and led him inside. After the heat of the day, the cool of the shady, air conditioned apartment was a welcome relief. Carolyn dropped her keys onto the coffee table and picked up the remote control, flipping on the TV absently before she walked off. "Something to eat?" her voice drifted back to him.

"Okay," he agreed, casually looking around. The place was neat…well organized, as he'd expected. A little austere, he thought, but not because that was her nature. More, like many under his command, because most of her time was spent inside Cheyenne Mountain, absorbed in the work they did…

The noise of the television caught his attention and he turned toward it, shaking his head a little at yet another inane talent contest program. He found himself watching though, with a sort of morbid curiosity, and raised his thick eyebrows at the realization that the current act was a tap-dance pair.

"You like this stuff?" Carolyn asked, and he turned to see her leaning against the doorframe, an ironic half-smile on her lips.

"Not really," he shrugged, gesturing at the dancers. "Hey, do you still…"

"No," she interrupted quickly, straightening.

"Ever?"

"No," she repeated insistently.

"C'mon, Carolyn…you won a statewide tap competition in high school. You're going to tell me you _never_--"

"I won the regional competition," she corrected. "You missed that, too."

He sighed, opening his mouth to respond, but before he could, their cell phones cut them off. Both tensed, drawing in sharp breaths at the noise, and Carolyn moved quickly to grab her purse from the table while her father pulled a phone from his pocket and flipped it open.

"Landry," he said into it.

------

Even in Daniel's study, crammed as it was with books and artifacts, Nick felt the emptiness of the house pressing on him. It was too big, especially for a couple who spent as little time at home as Daniel and Vala must if they needed Dr. Lam to water the plants. When she'd dropped him off here, she had intimated that her need for a key might soon be ending, as Vala would be spending a good deal more time at home.

Of course all of that depended upon whether they managed to escape this Lucian Alliance, Nick thought with a sigh as he made his way through the clutter to the shelf on the far wall. Framed photographs lined the top--black and whites of the wedding as well as smaller, color snapshots, some of Daniel and Vala by themselves, others with the rest of SG-1 and Jack O'Neill. Nick studied each one carefully, smiling at the realization that, if they weren't arguing outright while the shots were taken, most of the pictures showed one or both of them rolling their eyes. He might have wondered how long such a relationship could possibly last, except that Daniel's eyes in the rest of the pictures held such intense and passionate devotion…and Vala's smile, though always gleaming with a hint of mischief, whispered volumes to the old man who'd made a career of seeing what others missed.

He reached a dry fingertip to brush her cheek as his mind began to move back to a time before Daniel and Vala or even his mother Claire had born…to a woman whose smile bewitched him that same way. Then his hand fell softly onto the leather bound volume he remembered, now worn with the passage of time. The smile became rather surprised as he lifted it out of its niche, as he'd assumed that it had been lost. Slowly opening the book, though, he saw that Daniel had not only kept, but continued the family record.

His finger traced lovingly over the neat script of the first entry on the page, written there by his own wife more than half a century ago. Nicholas Ballard to Amanda Fredericks, and the date of their elopement. On the stenciled line below it, in a quick scrawl, Claire Ballard to Melburn Jackson. Regret blurred his vision at the realization that he'd missed that wedding along with the funeral listed under it--and all the ones that followed.

The first of those, written in a clear, firm hand he recognized as his grandson's, had to have been written after Daniel returned from the world on which he'd met his first wife. Daniel Jackson to Sha're of Abydos. The second, though, was done with a stylized flourish, both names and date surrounded by tiny hearts.

His finger was just tracing the V when the shrill clamor of the telephone startled him out of his reflection. Nick hurried back to the desk, but his hand hovered hesitantly over it, unsure whether he wanted the news that call had to be reporting. Finally, though, his fingers curled around the receiver and he lifted it to his ear.

"Mr. Ballard, this is Landry," the slightly graveled voice said. "I just got a phone call from the SGC. Daniel's home."


	17. Aftermath

  
The white glare assaulted his eyes, and Daniel fought the urge to open them. The antiseptic odor, the soft, incessant electronic beeping off to one side, the stale taste of canned oxygen at the back of his dry throat all told him exactly where he was, and unwelcome memories clamored, pushing their way back up from his unconscious mind. Vala. He swallowed on the name, trying to keep from retching on the memory of leaving her.

"Dr. Jackson?"

Now they were calling him. He wanted to make himself recede again, to sink back into oblivious sleep, but they wouldn't let him go. He tried, at least, to keep his eyes closed a while longer, but the doctor's pen light flashed in front of his face and he felt her thumb gently but firmly pry open his right eyelid.

"Come on, Daniel, focus."

Jack's voice, even more irritating than usual. He turned toward the sound, clenching his teeth at the unexpected spinning of the room, and closed his eyes again. His friend's familiar grip closed around his shoulder. "Easy. Y'all right?"

"Fine," he forced himself not to growl in response, slowly taking in the other faces gathered around the bed.

His teammates he expected, even Landry didn't surprise him, but the weathered and worried-looking face of his grandfather made his mouth fall open in surprise. "Nick?"

"Yes, Daniel," the unmistakable voice replied, and the old man offered him a hesitant smile.

"Wh--what day is it?" Daniel asked, looking around in confusion. "How long…?"

"We've been back about twelve hours," Sam spoke up.

"Twelve hours?" Daniel pushed himself upright in the bed. "We--we've gotta go back, we've gotta get her out of there!"

"Calm down, Dr. Jackson," Dr. Lam said in the crisp, clinical tone she reserved for unruly patients.

"Calm--what are you--my wife is--"

"SG-6 is already mobilizing for a recon mission," Landry said reassuringly.

"Mobilizing?" echoed Daniel in disbelief. "They should be out there already--"

"Daniel," Jack's authoritative tone cut him off. "Vala knows we're gonna get her out. Now relax. All you're gonna do is pop your stitches…"

"An' the doc here had a helluva time patchin' you up to start with," Cam added.

Daniel tilted his head back, his fingers raking through his short hair in frustration. He clenched his teeth and let his eyes close again, trying to calm the pounding of blood in his temples. Finally, drawing a breath, he turned toward Jack again. The general held his gaze for a long moment, until Daniel let out a bitter laugh.

"Guess you were right. It's a good thing she's not pregnant," he said hoarsely.

"Yeah…" Jack said slowly. His eyes fell away for a moment, and Daniel felt himself go icy. "That would be the thing."

"What--what are you telling me, Jack?" he forced out the words despite the tightening dread in his chest.

"The test came back positive," Jack said, looking up. "'Bout a week before we left."

Daniel's eyes flew wide, and he gasped as if Brannen's knife were being driven through his gut again. Then, his mouth clicked shut hard and expression hardened into something closer to real hatred than Jack would've thought possible. "Get out," he said flatly. "Just--get out, Jack."

"Okay, Daniel," his friend sighed, hanging his head for a moment. Reaching into his pocket, he withdrew the note Vala had entrusted to him. "She said to give this to you," he said, awkwardly dropping it into Daniel's lap as he got up and walked slowly out of the room.

Sam watched him go without a word and then turned to look at the others. "Maybe we should all go," she suggested. "Give Daniel a chance to rest."

Landry and Cam both nodded, exiting each with a light touch on Daniel's arm. He stared down at the folded notebook page in his lap, swallowing several times. Sam bent close, slipping her hands over his shoulders.

"It's going to be ok," she said soflty. "Remember she loves you, Daniel."

He stiffened, not moving for a moment, and she started to let go, but his arms abruptly came up around her, pulling her back. "Thanks," he choked, closing his eyes against the sting of tears. She nodded, returning the hug tightly for a long moment, and then let dropped her arms, taking a few reluctant steps backward before she turned to go after Jack.

Daniel didn't open his eyes to watch her go, nor did he look up again when he felt Teal'c's hand touch his shoulder. He knew that the Jaffa hadn't really expected him too, though. A second later, he followed Sam to the door. Nick waited silently, and Daniel felt a wave of gratitude that his grandfather didn't demand his attention.

Finally, though, he forced himself to look up again, noticing for the first time what it was that Nick's mottled and arthritic hands were holding. He sucked in his breath, unsure whether to smile or cry at the sight of the family record.

"I was reading this when General Landry called to say you were back," he explained. "I brought it without thinking. But perhaps it's good that I did?"

"I'm glad you're here, Nick," Daniel managed, gingerly taking the book. Even holding it brought a strange comfort. Nothing could ease the crush of guilt and fear in his chest…not yet…but the book, at least, afforded him a tangible link.

Vala Mal Doran to Daniel Jackson…

Nick only nodded, watching him open the book. Daniel found the page and stared down at it for long moment, biting his upper lip to stem the renewed flow of tears. Then, drawing a heavy breath, he picked up the note and gently unfolded it, needing one last look before he sealed it inside the record until Vala returned…or until she didn't. Then his eyes widened again at the words on the page.

_Know that the last two years have been more than I could imagine. Know that I love **you**._

_  
_

The last line read--**you** added in Vala's own hand, with the same purple ink and flourish she'd used to inscribe their names for him in the book. His finger reached to touch the wrinkled page, gently tracing the tiny hearts she'd even drawn around the word.

"I love you," he whispered.


	18. The Tau'ri

The atmosphere in the commissary was markedly somber. Jade slowly followed Martouf and Jacob to the table, sliding into the seat beside Selmak's host. She had thought it would be better to sit next to Jacob, since any proximity to Martouf after his hand had accidentally brushed hers while subduing Daniel was making her stomach do strange, fluttery things.

_//So much for the Tau'ri_,// commented Simone in her mind.

_Drink your coffee_, she sighed to the symbiote, who had discovered the Earth beverage from Selmak a few hours ago and couldn't get enough. There was an answering laugh, but no further teasing, at least until she happened to glance across the table and felt her cheeks flare hotly as Martouf's eyes met hers.

_//This could become interesting_,// Simone remarked, but before Jade could chide her, one of the Tau'ri officers walked up beside Jacob and cleared his throat.

"Sir, we're receiving a transmission from the Council in response to the report you made this morning," he said.

"I'll go," Jade said with some relief, but Jacob was already pushing his way to his feet.

"No, I've got it," he shook his head, laying a hand briefly on her arm. There was a decidedly mischievous glint in the older host's eye, telling her that he knew exactly what he was doing, but she could only nod acquiescence.

He walked off toward the Control Room, and she cleared her throat, her eyes traveling the room for a moment as she cast about for a safe topic of conversation.

"Remarkable how Vala seems to have affected all of them," she said at last.

Martouf nodded slightly, "From what I've heard from Samantha and her father, the majority of them don't entirely enjoy her prescence here, either."

"The Tau'ri are different, I suppose," Jade mused. She hadn't particularly wanted to leave Dr. Jackson's wife with Brannen, but among the Tok'ra, such sacrifices, while deeply felt, were considered entirely acceptable.

"Perhaps," Martouf murmured, catching her eye again. "Then again…perhaps not…"


	19. Virtue

She could almost feel the spray on her shoulders, but she knew it was an illusion. This high up, even the tumultuously churning ocean below the cliff base couldn't really reach her. Her hand slipped down to close around the cold metal rail of the balcony. She followed it with her eyes, staring at it, then at the bracelet, with a mix of disbelief and fury.

"The ransom demand was a trick, wasn't it?" she asked. "You don't need Earth's Naquada anyway."

"It would've been a nice addition," Brannen said flippantly behind her. "I've known where you were for some time now. Word got around after that stunt with the Ori 'gate. Still, I wasn't sure you'd come."

"Weren't you?" Vala demanded. "I thought Brannen Daegar was infallible."

His heavy footsteps started across the stone floor and she forced herself not to tense, to keep her breathing relaxed and even. "Jackson says I never knew you," Brannen mused as his hands caressed her bare shoulders. "Maybe I didn't. It was such a charming sacrifice, Vala. Of course, I killed him anyway…"

Her elbow shot back, driving into his abdomen, and she steeled herself against the answering blow she felt in her own. Still clinging to the rail with her other hand, she let it take her weight and twisted herself around to face him.

"Never touch me," she warned as he recovered. "Come near me again and you'll have more of the same."


	20. Chances

"So, what am I supposed to do," Daniel demanded. "Just-just lie here while SG-1 goes to rescue my wife?"

"Yes, Dr. Jackson," Carolyn replied implacably. "Unless you want me to sedate you, that's exactly what you're going to do--"

She broke off suddenly as Walter Harriman's voice came over the intercom and a claxon began. "Unscheduled off world activation! Medical team to the Embarkation Room!"

"Let's move!" Carolyn spun around, heading for the door as her people mobilized. They were followed by the other members of SG-1, who had been gathered around Daniel's bed again.

"SG-6?" Nick asked uncertainly beside him.

"It has to be," Daniel groaned softly, covering his face with his hands. If the recon team was coming back early, coming back hot, the odds of a rescue being deployed had just plummeted.

He sank back on the pillows, despair closing in around him, a heavy, choking darkness he hadn't felt since the day he'd cradled her lifeless body against his chest in Ver Ager. He felt leathery, warm fingers close supportively around his wrist, but didn't open his eyes.

_We don't leave our people behind._

Jack had coined the phrase in discussion with the Tok'ra, but since then it had been picked up by everyone involved with Stargate Command, chanted almost as a mantra, a prayer against the inevitable loss that came with what they did.

"We're going to have to ask you to leave, Mr. Ballard," one of the nurses said quietly.

Nick's hand tightened for a moment, then slipped away, and Daniel's heart sank further. It was probably only a precaution, he told himself. Even if there were only minor injuries, the medical team would need room to work. Visitors crowding the infirmary would be an unwelcome encumbrance.

When the stretchers rushed noisily up the hall, though, he watched in horror as all four members of SG-6 were hurried past him into pre-op. Major Carleson and Lieutenant Eddings didn't survive. He gathered that much from the snatches of conversation picked up that night. Colonel Roberts came out of surgery around midnight, but he didn't see Dr. Lam again until the following morning.

Roberts and the team linguist, Dr. Talbot, were both still unconscious, and Carolyn dropped exhaustedly into a chair between Daniel's bed and the two on his left, where the recon team survivors now lay. Neither spoke for a few moments, their gazes both firmly settled on what was left of SG-6.

"I have to report to Landry," she said finally, and Daniel winced at the hesitancy and regret in her tone. "But if they don't come through, chances are he won't authorize a rescue mission."


	21. Holding Hope

"What about the Tok'ra?" Daniel asked several days later. Roberts and Talbot were finally awake, and Landry had convened a meeting in the infirmary. "Brannen still has the symbiote poison, right? We—we don't know where it came from or what he's planning. At the very least it needs to be dealt with."

"Yes it does," replied Jacob, glancing wearily back at Jade and Martouf. "But if our people are going to get pegged off before they can even get inside, it's not going to happen. At least not now. Not while he knows we're coming. I'm sorry, Daniel."

Daniel closed his eyes for a moment, then shook his head stubbornly. "All right, you said there were at least a hundred men patrolling the preserve?" he asked, turning with more than a little desperation toward Colonel Roberts.

"Yeah, and staff cannons mounted outside the fortress. Nobody said anything about those," the rough necked Marine added, with a pointed look at their Tok'ra allies.

// "They were not there a few days ago,"// Simone replied flatly.

"Right, isn't that the point?" Daniel persisted. "Don't we need to know where they came from? Or how he managed to deploy so many patrol units so quickly?"

// "His position in the Lucian Alliance affords him access to military resources, Dr. Jackson,"// Simone said.

"I'm aware of that," Daniel nodded. "But that much? That quickly? You were undercover what? Half a year? Presumably, you would have known if that many men were hanging around the fortress."

Simone opened her mouth to reply and frowned, nodding a little in reluctant agreement. She turned a bit uncertainly toward Jacob, whose head bowed. The older man looked up again as Selmak took control.

"It's still doubtful that the Council will authorize a large scale operation to extract Vala now," the Tok'ra told him. "Under the circumstances, it would be counterproductive."

"And I can't order people into a situation like that," Landry added.

"Then consider me volunteering," Cam spoke up from where he stood on one side of Daniel's bed.

"Me too, sir," Sam added.

"And I," echoed Teal'c.

"No," Landry shook his head. "I'm sorry, I can't authorize it. Not for one person."

"Vala's not just anyone!" Daniel protested urgently.

Landry let out a sigh. "Look, Daniel, I understand that you love her--"

"No." Daniel stopped, closing his eyes again when he realized how that sounded. Beside him, his teammates raised a collective eyebrow. "Yes. Yes, I love her. But that's not all that's at stake here. Laying aside the very real debt this entire galaxy owes her for what she did at the Ori beachhead five years ago, you can't deny that her own connections to the Lucian Alliance have proven invaluable to Stargate Command since then."

"On occasion, she's been able to provide us with useful intel," Landry allowed. "But I still can't justify--"

"What about her ability to use Goa'uld technology?" Daniel persisted, casting about for anything that could tip the scale in Vala's favor.

"Colonel Carter possesses that same ability," Landry reminded him.

"Not as well," Sam attempted. "General, my experiences as Jolinar's host were very brief. I do have residual amounts of Naquada in my blood that allows me to use Goa'uld devices, but Vala spent years as a host to Qetesh. She has a mastery over the technology that I've never been able to achieve. Not to mention her access to the Goa'uld genetic memory. I happen to know that Mr. Woolsey has approached her several times—"

"I'll just be he has," Landry sighed again. "_Look_, people. I'm sorry. There isn't going to be a rescue mission at this time."

"General, _please_…" Daniel's voice broke. "You can't expect me to abandon her."

"We have given our word of returning," Teal'c rumbled.

"No one's talking about abandoning Vala," Landry promised. "But until someone can present me with a viable way of getting her out of there, we're going to have to wait."

Daniel hung his head, the fingers of his right hand clenching into a frustrated fist around the bunched bed sheet over him. More was discussed; he didn't know what because their voices began to pass over and around him in dissonant waves. Vaguely, he was aware of SG-1 continuing to protest, until Landry finally ended the meeting.

He and the Tok'ra left, and Lam tried to bustle SG-1 out as well to let her patients rest, but the team lingered. For a while, they simply waited, probably hoping Daniel would say something, but finally, it was Teal'c who broke the tense silence.

"If the Tok'ra and the Tau'ri cannot be persuaded to attempt a rescue, perhaps the Jaffa Council would prove more amenable to the risk," he suggested quietly.

Daniel's head shot up, eyes widening with new, unexpected hope. "Would they?"

"The Jaffa have not forgotten the debt this galaxy owes your wife, DanielJackson," Teal'c replied with a slight bow as he started out of the room. "I will request General Landry's permission to leave for Dakara."

"I'll come with ya," Cam decided, clapping Daniel's shoulder reassuringly on his way out after Teal'c.

"I can't stop thinking about it, Sam," he said softly as their steps faded around the corner. "After everything she's been through to get away from him…"

Sam reached out, gently loosening his fingers from the bunched sheet he still held. Clasping them in her own, she urged, "Don't give up, Daniel. Vala won't."


	22. Survival

Survival

_That's what it was—a matter of survival_, Daniel had repeated to her as she wept. Vala rarely allowed herself to cry, and the emotion overwhelmed her. He had cradled her head gently to his chest and murmured soft, soothing nonsenses until she felt better. Even when the crying finally stopped, she had clung to him, feeling small and lost and afraid and needing him in a way she couldn't voice.

_I knew what she was_, her own voice came raggedly in her memory. _I knew what Qetesh was, Daniel, I could have let her die there._

_  
_

_Vala, Brannen wouldn't have just killed you_, Daniel's reply echoed back as well. _He would've destroyed you. He was destroying you. You didn't choose to be a Goa'uld. You chose to live._

_  
_

She had believed him--or tried to believe him--but some part of her had always known that what he said was a lover's rationalization. Whether it was or not didn't matter now, though. This wasn't about survival. This was about revenge.

She hurried through the empty halls, glad that even Brannen would be asleep at this time of night. Her sandled feet shuffled along the cold stone floor, the dry, whispering sound of it making her feel exposed and vulnerable. She missed her boots and the gratifying pound of their carefully selected heels. Brannen liked her in delicate, femine attire, and she knew fully well that he had chosen her current attire with the same purposeful mindset with which she picked her own wardrobe.

Finally, though, she reached the door to the room where he stored the real records and pressed her forehead to the door, listening for a moment. No one should be inside; no one but Brannen even had the security code, but a bit of extra caution couldn't do anything but help her now. Hearing nothing, she quickly tapped out the code and slid inside, hurring to the computer as the lights came up.

His reasons for wanting the symbiote poison wouldn't be here of course, but Vala didn't care about that. She slid into the chair in front of the terminal with single-minded intent. Whatever he wanted with it, he would have records of where he'd hidden it here. She was going to take it, and use the resources she could trade it for to come back here and finally be rid of him.

It wouldn't change anything, she realized as the screen came to life in front of her. _If_ Brannen had told the truth, it wouldn't bring Daniel back. It wouldn't give her back the life she'd actually began to believe they could build together or…

"Damn," she muttered, raising a finger to flick a tear hurriedly from her face. The computer screen had begun to flash, demanding a password, and she grit her teeth. She made several attempts, but no matter how she tried to hack the system, the display remained frozen. Finally, Vala slammed both hands flat against the console in frustration. The password dialogue winked off, and Brannen's business records came up.

"There we go," Vala smiled, allowing herself to breathe again.


	23. Turning Point

"I don't believe this," complained Cam with a disgusted sigh. "We've been here three days and they're still arguing." 

"Indeed," glowered Teal'c, slowly walking away as the Council Room door closed behind them. "It is most disconcerting."

A familiar figure approached from the direction of the Stargate, but as Bra'tac began to draw closer, shoulders bowed and with a defeat in his step, both members of SG-1 guessed that his luck had been no better than theirs. Most of the Council had argued against a rescue attempt. The predominant feeling was that Vala's capture was the fault of the Tok'ra and the Tok'ra, therefore, should be made to rescue her. After two days of arguing, Bra'tac had gone off world to visit with some of his old friends, hoping to drum up support.

"No luck, huh?" Cam asked.

"Indeed not," Bra'tac replied. "I had not thought so many Jaffa would allow their own mistrust of the Tok'ra to hold sway in a matter of honor such as this. My own ships and those of Brother Tho'ril stand ready to aid you now, regardless," he promised. "Though such a small force pitted against the combined strength of the Lucian Alliance stands little chance of freeing Vala."

Teal'c gave a slow bow in acknowledgement. "Then we must return and inform General Landry and DanielJackson that we have not been successful."

"Bet that's gonna go over real well with Jackson," Cam sighed.

------

"Bra'tac and Tho'ril? That's it?" Daniel stared in disbelief. Beside him, Sam grit her teeth, letting out a frustrated growl, and Nick sighed heavily.

"Master Bra'tac continues to argue before the council on our behalf, DanielJackson," Teal'c replied calmly. "But for the moment, only they have promised assistance."

"To make matters worse," Sam spoke up, "The delay on Dakara has given Brannen time to organize the rest of his forces. Dad says the latest Tok'ra intelligence reports an orbital blockade around the planet."

"Which brings us right back to where we were before we left," Cam shook his head, scrubbing a hand through his short-cropped hair. "Only way we're gonna get her out is to send a team through the gate."

"General Landry will not authorize…" Teal'c started.

"Can ya blame him? We'd have to be invisible…aw, never mind," Cam cut himself off. "One way or 'nother, we gotta get her outa there. I say we do it."

"Do what?" Sam cocked an eyebrow at him.

"Fire up the gate and go," Cam replied, nodding firmly to himself.

"Against orders?"

"General O'Neill did it," Cam shrugged. "People needed rescuing; he didn't stand around the infirmary talkin' 'bout it."

"Where is Jack anyway?" Daniel inquired, suddenly frowning. "You'd think he'd want to know what happened…"

"You told him to leave, Daniel," Sam pointed out more sharply than she'd intended. Their eyes met for a moment and then both looked uncomfortably away.

"Sorry," Sam mumbled.

"Me too," Daniel coughed.

"Invisible…" Nick mused, half to himself. The group turned, eyeing the old man curiously, and his eyes widened. "That's it! Daniel, that is the answer!"

"What is?" Daniel asked.

"The phase shifting technology the Heand use in devices like the skull," his grandfather explained.

"Wasn't the whole invisibility thing an accident?" Cam pointed out. "Teal'c fired a zat and interrupted the transport process…" he paused at his teammates' questioning looks, adding, "I read the report."

"Right," Sam shook her head slightly, "And from what Daniel said, he wasn't able to physically affect anything while he was invisible. We might be able to get past Brannen's defenses and back into the compound, but after that we'd have no way of helping Vala."

"But when I lived with them, Quetzalcoatl showed me a device that he said used the same principals and could be turned on and off by the user."

"And he'll let us borrow it?" Daniel asked eagerly.

"Under the circumstances, yes, I think I could convince him," Nick nodded.

"Then we must journey again to the world of the Heand," Teal'c declared.

"I'll get Landry," Cam told the team, quickly spinning to jog out of the infirmary.


	24. Bottom Line

"NicholasBallard," Teal'c said as he came back into the infirmary. "We are about to depart for the world of the Heand. Colonel Mitchell is awaiting us in the Embarkation Room."

Nick nodded and slowly rose from the chair by Daniel's bed. Gingerly leaning over to hug his grandson, he promised, "We'll be back as fast as we can."

"Thanks, Nick," Daniel said around a sudden tightness in his throat. His arms tightened around the older man for a moment, and Nick nodded then quickly released him and started for the door.

"We will endeavor to return within the day, DanielJackson," Teal'c added, bowing. He turned a bit too quickly, though, and Daniel frowned.

"Wait…" he called. "Sam's not going with you and Mitchell?"

Teal'c stopped at the question, but didn't turn back for a long moment. When he did, his eyes moved questioningly toward Carolyn.

"What's going on?" Daniel asked, his frown deepening.

Carolyn gave a reluctant sigh and nodded toward Teal'c, who bowed slightly in acknowledgement before explaining, "ColonelCarter must remain on Earth to provide testimony at a hearing to determine whether O'Neill will face Court Martial proceedings for his role in our rescue from BrannenDaegar."

"What?" Daniel cried, feeling himself blanch. His face felt hot and cold at once, and his stomach dropped with the shock of sudden understanding. Why hadn't he realized sooner? Of course Jack would have to face disciplinary action for what he'd done.

"ColonelMitchell and I were to have testified as well," Teal'c continued.

"And no one was going to _tell me?"_ Daniel demanded.

"O'Neill did not wish you to be informed," replied Teal'c.

Daniel shoved his fingers roughly through his hair. "Well--well, I've gotta get there," he said, throwing back the blankets.

"Hey!" Carolyn called, hurrying toward him as he pulled the IV tubes from his arm. Teal'c moved quickly inside as well, but by the time they reached him, Daniel was on his feet and searching for clothes.

"You must remain in bed, DanielJackson," Teal'c said, gripping Daniel's shoulder.

"Teal'c, I'm fine," Daniel shook his head. "You and Nick just go."

"You need to go back to bed," Carolyn spoke up firmly, but Daniel turned to her with hard-set eyes and a quietly determined expression.

"Carolyn, I've been in bed for days…"

"And there's a good reason for that," she interrupted. "Even if we could get you on a plane to Washington in time for the hearing, you're in no condition for an extended trip like that. What is it that you think you're going to do for General O'Neill anyway? An hour ago, you were furious with him for leaving Vala with Brannen."

"Look, whatever else Jack may have done, he also just saved my life. And¾and, apparently, he risked his career to do it. If I can't go with the rest of SG-1, I am going to Washing--"

Daniel's words were abruptly cut off as he disappeared in a familiar flash of white light. Carolyn's eyes widened, and she turned toward Teal'c, who regarded her with a raised eyebrow. 

------

"--ton. The bottom line is he's my best…friend…?" Daniel's voice trailed off in confusion as he looked around the Asgard bridge. He blinked, then felt his eyes bulge as General Hammond stepped forward from beside Thor with a wide grin of welcome.

"Greetings, Daniel Jackson," Thor said as the general placed a bundle of clothes in Daniel's hands.

"Better change before we get there, son," he said.

"Um…right…" Daniel said slowly. "Sir, how…?"

"As soon as I knew SG-1 was back safe, I put in a call to Thor," Hammond explained. "I had a feeling that having our Asgard allies vouch for Jack at this hearing might be useful. And, Thor and I thought you'd like to come along, too."

"Definitely right about that," Daniel agreed, attempting to look casual as he shifted the clothes into one arm and reached behind his back to draw the hospital gown more tightly closed before he walked off in search of a place to change. 

------

Jack struggled not to yawn, leaning his forehead momentarily on his palm, but felt Sam's foot jar the back of his chair and straightened again. He didn't turn to look at her but felt a wash of gratitude for her presence. Martouf and Jade had stayed as well, even after Jacob had been called back to report to the Tok'ra. That surprised him, but apparently both felt it incumbent on them to offer testimony.

Secretary Kammel of Homeworld Security had been droning on for the last ten minutes, and Jack could feel what was sure to be a giant headache beginning to throb over his right eye. Finally, the windbag seemed to be winding down though. He heard Sam shift in her seat behind him, clearing her throat nervously as she expected to be called next.

Before she could be though, an Asgard transport beam flashed beside him, and Daniel appeared, immaculately dressed in a suit and tie and sporting a new pair of specs.

"Hi, Jack," he said casually.

"Daniel?" Jack's eyes widened.

"Jack?"

"Daniel!" Jack exclaimed, then turned to the opposite side as a second flash lit the room and both General Hammond and Thor appeared. Jack's head tilted slightly to the side, and he remarked, "Hey…gang's all here."


	25. What Happens Next

Cameron's low whistle echoed through the vast cavern on P7X-377. "Guess y'all weren't kiddin' 'bout how big this place was," he commented as he led Teal'c and Nick across the walkway toward the Crystal Skull."

Teal'c raised an eyebrow pointedly, and Cam turned toward him, shrugging. "What? Oh. Right. You never kid."

"Indeed," Teal'c agreed. Cam only sighed as they reached the pedestal and gestured to Nick, who took a deep breath and stepped toward it, bending over the Skull. He peered into the eyes intently for several moments, and a lightshow of yellow neutrino sparks began to emanate from it, swirling around them.

"Whoa!" Cam exclaimed as it completely enveloped them. A few moments later, the phenomenon faded, almost anticlimactically, and he looked around in confusion. "All right…what happens next?"

"Now we must wait for…" Nick started.

"Kind of have a feeling you're about to say, 'the giant aliens…'" Cam interrupted.

The cavern began to rumble and shake, filling with mist, out of which came an ethereal white figure who intoned in Mayan, "_Oo ya wolin wolin we tayil_."

"Actually, I was about to say Quetzalcoatl," Nick smiled before he craned his neck to look at the giant and return the ritual greeting. "We are enemies of the Goa'uld!"

"Then you are welcome here," Quetzalcoatl finished, then lowered his head toward the humans. "I greet you, Nicholas Ballard. We of the Heand had not expected you to return again."

Nick nodded, stepping closer, and pursed his lips, considering his words carefully. "Greetings, Quetzalcoatl," he replied. "You're right; my last message to you said I had decided to stay on earth with the grandson I told you about. But now, I've brought these friends of his to ask for help on Daniel's behalf."

The giant's expression became clearly startled. "Of what help can we be to the son of your daughter?" he asked.

"Daniel's wife, Vala, is being held prisoner," Nick explained. "The place she's being kept is virtually impregnable, and the people of the Tau'ri have no means of rescuing her."

Quetzalcoatl nodded understanding, but gave a troubled sigh. "You know that the Heand are a peaceful race," he said. "We protect ourselves from the Goa'uld with the use of our phase shift devices like the Skull--"

"Don't think that's gonna be a problem for ya anymore," Cam interrupted, stepping up beside Nick and raising his hand in greeting. "'Scuse me, hi. Cam Mitchell, howya doin'?"

The giant's eyebrows rose in even greater surprise, but he nodded toward Cam and offered what Nick had explained as a common greeting among the people of their world. "It…is my pleasure to meet you."

"Yeah, same here," Cam nodded absently. "Look, Nick couldn't have known this while he was hanging out with you folks, but the Goa'uld have been defeated. I know how impossible that probably sounds, but Daniel Jackson was instrumental in how it all went down. Since you guys have this whole enemy of my enemy concept down, I figure you'd wanna lend the guy a hand with his old lady in trouble."

Teal'c raised an eyebrow again. "I do not believe ValaJackson to be old, ColonelMitchell."

"No, it's…" Cam started to say, then rolled his eyes. "I'll explain it to ya later."

"The Goa'uld defeated?" Quetzalcoatl asked, looking back at Nick.

"So Daniel told me himself," the old man nodded.

"Listen, I'm sure he'd be happy to give you a play by play of the whole thing later, too," Cam broke in again. "Right now, he's a little preoccupied, and we're short on time."

"All we ask of the Heand is to borrow your phase shift technology so that a team can use it to slip inside our enemy's fortress unseen and rescue Vala," Nick explained with a note of entreaty in his voice. "It may well be the only way to save her."

Quetzalcoatl nodded slowly and fell silent, seeming to ponder the situation for a long time. "The Heand do have devices similar to the Skull and its pedestal. Arm or neckbands with stones which can be inserted to trigger the phase shift. Our technology is, however, designed for beings of our size. It may take several days to adapt the devices for use by such diminutive creatures as the Tau'ri. You three may remain until then."

------

"I'm sorry, Jack," Daniel said as the group plodded out of the hearing room. His tone was strained and weary with the sustained effort of enduring several hours of testimony, followed by another hour of private negotiations.

"It's all right, Daniel," Jack shoved his hands in his pockets and didn't look up. "You did your best."

"No, I mean I'm sorry. For the way I talked to you; of course I'm sorry about the hearing, too--whoa…" he raised a hand to his forehead as the room began to spin.

"You ok, Daniel?" Sam asked as she and Jack moved to support him.

"Need to sit down?" Jack prompted, guiding them toward a nearby bench.

"I'm fine," Daniel started to say, but his knees buckled, and he found himself suddenly clinging to Jack, who would have lost his balance if not for Sam bracing them both from behind. "Oookay….sitting down then."

"All right," Jack said as he and Sam helped their friend down on the bench. "Let's get you back to the infirmary."

"I believe I may be of assistance," spoke up Thor.

"That's what I had in--" began Jack when Daniel, Thor, and General Hammond all abruptly vanished again. "--mind. Gotta love when he does that," he shook his head, turning to look at Sam as he took Daniel's place on the bench.

She bit her lip and nodded, but didn't answer right away, knowing that the casual cynicism masked a tumult of conflicting emotion. Despite her testimony and Daniel's most passionate and skillful arguments on Jack's behalf, the best they'd been able to manage was to convince the Air Force to offer him voluntary retirement in lieu of court martial. "So, what happens next?" she asked finally.

"I could fight it," he said softly.

"Do you want to?" Sam asked hesitantly, unsure what she wanted the answer to be.

He hung his head, weighing his response for a long time before he looked up at her again. "I don't know," he confessed.

Sam frowned sympathetically and slid down on the bench beside him. "I think," she began, drawing a breath as she became aware of his thigh next to hers, not touching but so close that she could feel the tantalizing warmth of it. Her pulse quickened, and she steeled herself against a cascade of responses that she had never quite been able to train her body to ignore. "I think you're really angry right now."

"Angry?" Jack nodded. "Yeah. But this pencil pushing deal isn't working…"

"Sir, what we do is too important," she protested.

"What _you_ do is important," he corrected, glancing back at the closed door they'd just exited. "What I do obviously isn't. I haven't felt like I was doing anything important in five years. Not until this."

"Sir--" she started, breaking off when he raised his hand to her cheek.

"I shoulda been banging down the president's door the way Vala was mine," he said in a near-whisper. "The Pentagon was willing to let all of you stay there--die there. Took Vala to remind me that's not what I signed up for."

Sam felt her throat constrict and forced back sudden tears. "Retiring won't change that. It won't help anyone--"

"Except me," Jack replied, leaning toward her mouth

Sam wanted to pull back, conscious of Martouf and Jade watching nearby, but she found herself leaning into him, felt the hot pressure of his mouth on hers and finally forgot anything but her own response.

Martouf, looking on with Jade, felt his stomach clench and quickly looked away. He sighed a little in resignation and turned to walk further up the hall. He knew he couldn't go far, though, and stopped as he rounded the next corner, leaning against the wall to wait.

_//What are you doing?//_ Simone demanded when Jade didn't follow.

_What?_ her host asked.

_//Follow him!// _the symbiote told her.

_It looks like he wants to be alone,_ Jade protested.

_//I don't care what it looks like. He wants you to follow him,//_ insisted Simone.

_Are you in his head now, too?_ Jade asked pointedly.

_//I don't have to be…just go after him, Jade. Trust me,//_ Simone replied.

Right, Jade sighed, but decided that following Martouf would be a better option than watching General O'Neill and Colonel Carter. As quietly as she could, she slipped off after him and found him leaning against the wall with his eyes closed, arms folded across his chest.

She took a nervous breath and opened her mouth, then abruptly closed it again, realizing that she had no idea what to say. He smiled, though, and opened his eyes to look at her.

"You still have feelings for Colonel Carter," she said, only half a question.

"Not really, no," he replied. "In the end, her feelings for General O'Neill made me realize that we weren't going to make each other happy. It took some time, but I accepted that. I care for her, yes, but not in the way you mean. It is…difficult, though, to see them together. In a sense, it reminds me of two lost relationships."

"Jolinar," Jade nodded slowly, resting a hand on his arm.

Martouf smiled again and covered the hand with his own. "Was there…" he hesitated as their eyes met. "…is there…someone?"

"There was," Jade said with a slight smile in return. "Not now. His name was Connor, but things ended poorly when I became host to Simone."

"I'm sorry," Martouf said sincerely

Jade's smile widened, but before she could say more, Simone commented dryly that it was for the best in any case. She didn't quite manage not to laugh, and Martouf's eyebrows rose in surprise. "Simone says she thinks it was a good thing," she explained.

"So does Lantash," Martouf grinned. 

------

Carolyn knocked lightly on the side of his office door, and her father looked up, setting down his pen. "Just letting you know that Daniel's back," she said from the doorway.

"I just got a message from George Hammond," Landry nodded. "Daniel all right?"

"As well as can be expected," Carolyn replied. "From what he said before he fell asleep, the hearing didn't go well."

"George told me," Landry sighed. "But it could've been worse. Jack knew there would be repercussions…"

"You can't actually agree with what they're doing!" her eyes narrowed angrily.

"I didn't say that, did I?" he asked pointedly.

Carolyn ran a hand tiredly through her hair. "No. No, I guess you didn't," she admitted.

Landry frowned worriedly at her. "You look exhausted. When's the last time you slept?"

"Listen, don't tell me to go home and get some rest," she protested automatically. "I've got severely wounded patients in the infirmary…"

"I was just gonna ask if you wanted to sack out in here on the couch for a few hours," he sighed.

Carolyn froze mid-sentence, her mouth hanging open. "Oh," she said finally, her gaze shifting almost involuntarily toward the invitingly soft brown leather couch. She hesitated for a moment then pushed herself off the doorframe and walked inside. "Well, thanks, Dad," she said as she made her way over to it and sank onto the cushions.

Landry nodded, then gestured at the stack of paperwork on his desk. "I've got some catching up to do. Just--ignore me."

"Ignore you," she repeated, propping up her feet and settling back with her hands behind her head. "Right."

She closed her eyes determinedly and he worked in silence for several minutes, but finally she opened her eyes again and turned to the desk with a sigh. "I can hear your pen scratching," she said.

"Sorry," he looked up at her and set the pen down, reaching inside his desk drawer for a Bic.

"Any word from Cameron and Teal'c?" she asked.

"Not yet," he replied.

"So, what happens next?" she wanted to know.

"Hard to say until we hear from them, at least," answered Landry.

Carolyn let out a loud breath in frustration. "It's horrible to feel so helpless," she declared. "I don't blame General O'Neill. Or Daniel for that matter, even though as a doctor I could kill him…" she trailed off, yawning behind her hand.

"I know," he smiled a little as he went back to work.

Carolyn's eyelids began to droop closed and she mumbled, "Y'know, when I was a kid, I kinda thought you could do anything."

Landry raised his head, startled, but she was deep asleep already. He let the pen drop and settled his chin in his hand, staring at her for several moments. Then, he slowly pushed back his chair and walked over to the couch. Finally, he slipped off his uniform jacket and covered her with it, leaving a kiss on her forehead before he straightened again.

As he did, a familiar claxon sounded, and Walter Harriman's voice came over the PA with, "Unscheduled offworld activation!"

Landry hissed and ran out to the Control Room, shouting, "Walter, shut that alarm off!"

"Yessir," the tech said quickly. "Sorry, sir."

"What is it now?" Landry asked.

"Looks like we're receiving a message from Colonel Mitchell, sir," Water replied, gesturing at the video relay screen while Cam's grainy image came into view.

"Colonel, how things going with the Heand?" he asked.

"Not too good, sir," Mitchell reported. "Quetzalcoatl did agree to lend us their technology, but the Heand scientists are having a bit more trouble than he thought with adapting it for critters our size. We could use Colonel Carter on this one."

"Understood," Landry nodded. "I'll have her report to you on P7X-377 as soon as she's back from Washington."

"Thank you, sir. Any word on that, General?"

"In fact there has been," Landry replied. "Not anything you'll want to hear, I'm afraid."

Mitchell caught his upper lip in his teeth to restrain the reply he really wanted to make and glanced down at the cavern floor. "Roger that, sir. Mitchell out." 

------

"I don't like it," Alek told Brannen flatly as Vala and the two mercenaries tramped through the preserve toward Alek's ship. "Employing Alliance ships in a blockade to protect your personal conquest. How long do you think you can keep it up anyway?"

"Until I don't need to anymore," Brannen replied diffidently.

Alek rolled his eyes, having expected an answer like that, but said nothing. He didn't fear Brannen the way most of their contemporaries seemed to these days, however, he had a distaste for the kind of verbal jousting Brannen enjoyed, especially with a man who could slip so suddenly and completely from amiability to murderous rage.

"If it bothers you so much, you could lodge a protest," Brannen shrugged.

_I might if it would do any good,_ Alek thought. Despite its being technically still a confederation, both men knew that the Lucian Alliance was becoming more and more the dictatorship that Brannen wanted. There were others, even in the blockade above the planet, who felt as Alek did, but no one would challenge Brannen openly. He had gained much of his power through blackmail, though how he had gained his information in the first place was only half understood. Alek, however, had his own method in mind for dealing with Brannen. How it played out, of course, would depend on what happened next with Vala and the Tau'ri, but one way or another, Daegar's time was coming.

They were reaching the ship now, and the group paused while Alek reached into his vest pocket for the remote that turned off the security systems and opened the hatch, then clambered up the ramp. Once inside, Vala leaned against the wall by the hatch and shifted uncomfortably, aware that the dress she was wearing was already becoming snug around her midriff. She doubted that Brannen would have noticed; in fact, he probably wouldn't suspect anything for at least another month, but the very idea of being trapped here when she started to become visibly pregnant chilled her.

"It's this way," Alek said, gesturing Brannen through the inner doorway and into the short corridor that led into his cargo hold.

"Don't go anywhere," he turned to Vala with a wink.

"I wouldn't dream of it," she replied, folding her arms across her chest. As they walked off, though, she couldn't help but let her eyes drift speculatively over the ship. It looked to be about 33 meters, more easily handled with a two person crew, but nothing she couldn't manage alone, and it was fairly heavily shielded. From the outside, she had seen that the cockpit was forward facing, similar to an Al'kesh. A loading ramp unfolded from either side of the ship when the hatches opened. Now she could make out that crew and passenger accommodations branched from the sides through short, elliptical corridors. Propulsion drives be would located at the rear of the ship, and she'd have to have a good look at those before making a move, but overall it looked promising. There seemed to be a ring-shaped hatch that could be opened in the central portion of the ship's flooring, though what it was for she couldn't yet guess.

Although she couldn't quite believe that she trusted them so implicitly, Vala had never doubted SG-1's promise to return. Still, there could be no harm in helping things along, and she had never been one to sit idly by and wait for rescue. Brannen had no idea yet that she could remove the bracelets binding them, and she wanted to keep it that way until her plan included a means of slipping past the blockade. She'd heard rumors that Alek had included a package of surprises in the ship's design that were rather similar to those that her old friend Kias had made on a certain cargo ship she'd once borrowed, and that would help, but she'd have to be sure. Which meant she needed a way back here alone…

------ 

Three days after General O'Neill's hearing, Martouf paused in the doorway of the dimly lit commissary, studying the lone figure occupying a table inside. He smiled a little and stepped inside, swallowing a few times to ease the sudden dryness in his mouth as he walked up to her.

"Shouldn't you be asleep?" he asked quietly. "I thought you would be."

Jade felt her face flush at the sound of his voice and was suddenly glad the lights were low. "I tried earlier," she said. "I could not keep my eyes closed."

"It helps not to drink coffee late at night," he said, gesturing at the Styrofoam cup she was rolling between her palms.

"Simone insisted," she chuckled. "Since we were going to be awake anyway, she said we might as well. Dr. Lam gave me coins for it," she added, glancing over at the vending machine by way of explanation.

Martouf made a sour face. "I was able to get used to _real_ coffee eventually, but never the sludge that comes from those machines."

"Is it possible for a Tok'ra to be addicted to caffeine?" she asked in a playful tone that he recognized as her way of teasing Simone."

"Lantash doesn't think so," Martouf shook his head, sliding into the chair opposite her. "Penny for your thoughts?" he asked.

Jade raised an uncomprehending eyebrow. "Pardon me?"

"Oh. My apologies. It's…a Tau'ri expression. A way of asking what's troubling you," he explained.

"I see," she said slowly. "Well…SG-1 returned from P7X-377 a few hours ago. Colonel Carter needs only to make a few modifications to the wrist devices she brought back. After that, they'll be leaving to rescue Dr. Jackson's wife, and the Council has ordered Simone and I to go with them."

"To retrieve the poison," Martouf nodded. "This bothers you?"

"In a way," Jade admitted. "Both Simone and I would like to go back, if only to redeem our past failure. But Vala's life is at risk. Shouldn't she be the mission priority?"

Martouf frowned thoughtfully. "Thousands of Tok'ra lives will be at risk if Brannen is allowed to keep the symbiote poison. Is one human more important than they?"

"No," Jade replied without hesitation. "No, of course not. It only seems that the two situations aren't equal. On the one hand, Vala is in immediate danger. On the other, the Tok'ra face a potential risk, which hasn't increased since we first learned that Brannen had the poison in the first place. Yet if a choice must be made between saving her and completing our mission, Simone and I will be required to choose recovering the poison."

"As SG-1 would be required to choose saving Vala's life," Martouf said, reaching for her hand across the table. He wrapped her fingers in the warmth of his own and drew them to his lips. "Don't fear for Vala, Jade. SG-1 will not leave without her. Let them carry out their mission while you and Simone look to yours."

"Will you and Lantash come with us, Martouf?" Jade asked.

"Of course."

------

_Sha're is gone. Jack says we'll find her. If anyone can, he can._

The words jumped out at him and he felt his breath catch. They were scrawled across the journal page in his own handwriting, but he hadn't known that he'd written them. He'd been discussing board games, things he'd uncovered on Abydos. Right in the middle of that discussion came the simple statements that echoed his despair--his hope. Then, at the end of the third sentence, he'd gone back to what he'd been saying before, never even realizing where his thoughts had wandered.

Daniel sighed and closed the book, wondering again why he'd asked Nick to bring his old journals from the house. He'd wanted a distraction, he supposed--anything to keep his mind occupied and away from the new fear that had settled over him. Sha're was gone, but she had been for a long time. Now Vala was gone, too--trapped with Brannen Daegar so that the team could get Daniel back through the 'Gate before he bled to death.

_Jack says we'll find her. If anyone can, he can._

He started to ask himself whether his opinion of Jack had changed, but he knew that it hadn't. Jack had been the one responsible for Vala's capture. Daniel was sure that she had left him no choice as far as the rescue mission was concerned, but _Jack_ had given the order to leave her behind. That knowledge sat hollowly in his chest, making his throat tighten again. Jack must have felt that he'd had no other option. The trade had been Vala's idea, and the whole team had made it clear that they intended to come back for her. Daniel would have died if they'd been forced to stay much longer. Jack did what he always did--he made the call that no one else wanted to make. Still, Daniel's jaw tightened with the thought that Jack had also known that Vala was _pregnant_--and Jack knew better than anyone that Daniel would rather die than risk his wife and unborn child.

…_gone…Jack says we'll find her…_

_Get out, Jack,_ his own angry order came back to him. He hadn't known when he said it that the rescue mission would cost Jack his career. He should have, though. Maybe he would have if he hadn't still been weak and confused. Jack didn't yell back; he just quietly dropped the note that Vala had entrusted to him, nodded, and walked out.

Now, the court martial ruling weighed heavily on Daniel as well. Forced retirement seemed like a slap in the face to a man like Jack O'Neill. Despite Daniel's best efforts, though, it had been the only option other than a dishonorable discharge. He hadn't expected Jack to take it as well as he had--but, he thought wryly, maybe Jack had been waiting for the right excuse to come along. The Goa'uld were no longer a major threat. The Ori, strangely, had never made another attempt to invade the galaxy after Vala stopped them at the Beachhead. If there was a right time for retirement, this was it--and as much as she loved him, Daniel knew that Sam wouldn't wait around for Jack forever. She'd already almost married Pete.

He sighed a little at that memory, and his thoughts turned to the fact that Jack probably still had no idea that the team had returned from P7X-377. His eyes flicked toward the phone on the bedside table, and after a moment's hesitation, he reached for the controls that would adjust the infirmary bed. Once he was sitting up, he stared at the phone for another few minutes, then finally picked it up and dialed.

"'Lo?" Jack answered on the second ring.

"Hi, Jack," he said.

"Daniel," came the casual reply.

"The, um, team's back," Daniel offered.

"Oh yeah?" Jack responded. "How's Carter? She get the stuff from the giants fixed yet?"

"Sam's fine," Daniel smiled, wondering how long it was really going to take the pair to stop using each other's last names in casual conversation. "She's working on adapting the Heand technology now. She could probably use a dinner break."

"Y'think?" Jack asked.

"You know how distracted she gets when she's working," Daniel nodded, ignoring the faint snort of amusement from his friend. Before Jack could make a "look who's talking" crack, he went on, "Jack, I wanted to apologize again."

"You don't have to, Daniel," came the quick reply.

"Yes, I do. If--if I had been in Vala's position, I would have done the same thing. And I would have expected you to give the same order. I can't fault you for it now," Daniel said.

"Yeah, well," Jack cleared his throat uncomfortably. "I dunno if that's an order I would have given."

"That's okay too," Daniel said softly. "I know."

"Right," Jack coughed, hurriedly shifting the subject. "We're gonna get her back, Daniel."

"I know," Daniel nodded. "If anyone can, you can."

------ 

The warm, spicy aroma of fresh pizza drifted over to her from the doorway, and Sam felt her stomach rumble. Her mouth watered as she realized she had forgotten to eat again, and she turned toward the smell as someone knocked on the wall just inside her lab.

"Delivery," Jack smiled.

"Hey!" her eyes widened in surprise and she jumped to her feet as he came inside, gingerly sliding the hot box onto the counter before wrapping his arms around her.

"How did you even know we were back?" she asked as her hands slid smoothly over the cool leather of his jacket to lace behind his neck.

"Little bird told me," Jack shrugged.

"A little bird named Landry, huh?" she grinned.

"A little bird named Daniel, actually," he replied, then dipped his head to meet her lips.

She returned the kiss for a moment, then asked softly, "Are you guys ok?"

"Me and Daniel?" Jack shrugged. "We will be. So how's it going?" he asked, gesturing toward her worktable.

"Well, the biggest problem was disabling the safeguard that the Heand use to prevent the technology from working on anyone carrying a live symbiote, but I managed to…"

"Of course you did," Jack interrupted, forestalling a complicated technical explanation that he knew he wouldn't understand with another long kiss. "So…good then?" he asked when their lips parted again.

"I was just finishing," she replied, smiling fondly. She rested a hand on his chest for a few moments, then abruptly pulled back. "I should find Landry--"

"Eat first," Jack said, catching her hand as she started for the door and gently turning her back toward the cooling pizza.

"Sir, I--Jack," she broke off with a wince.

"That's gonna take some getting used to," he allowed, forcing a smile. "Sam, eat. I still outrank you. For the moment, anyway."

"Yes, sir," she replied, swallowing against a bittersweet wash of emotion that tightened her throat. Picking up the first slice, she asked quietly, "Are you sure this is what you want?"

"No," he admitted. "But I'm sure I don't ever want to sit behind a desk at the Pentagon waiting to hear…you know. And before you ask, I'm sure I won't ever regret it."

"Sure?" Sam asked, meeting his eyes again. She still wasn't convinced that his retiring was going to make anything different the next time SG-1 found themselves in this type of situation. Unless of course he intended to rush off with Vala to rescue them without even _trying_ to go through the proper channels, and somehow that didn't seem like Jack O'Neill…or did it?

"I said I was sure, didn't I, Carter?" he asked, though his tone was gentle, not at all the pointed one he would normally use for a question like that. He reached out to brush her cheek with a knuckle, then let his hand drop away. "C'mon, eat. Everybody's in the infirmary with Daniel."

Sam nodded and hurriedly gulped down the pizza, then followed him out to the infirmary. The group now included both Jade and Martouf, which somehow didn't surprise her. She smiled a greeting as she and Jack walked over to Daniel's bed and Landry turned to them.

"News, Colonel?" he asked her.

"They're finished, sir," she replied. "I have six working models…"

"Six?" both Landry and Daniel said as Dr. Lam quietly got up and began preparing a syringe.

"Teal'c, Carter, and I discussed this on the planet, General," Cam spoke up. "We'd like General O'Neill to lead this mission."

Jack's eyebrows rose, and Landry smiled a little, looking from one to the other. Jack's retirement wasn't official yet--wouldn't be for a few weeks at least. He knew of several other regulations he would technically be breaking under the circumstances, but Mitchell and Carter knew them as well.

"You ok with that, Daniel?" he asked, turning back to the archaeologist and holding his gaze while Carolyn approached.

"Absolutely," he nodded, then his eyes bulged and he twisted to face Carolyn as the needle sank into his arm. "Ow??????"

"Just relax, Daniel," she said calmly, offering no apology.

"Whaddaya--whaddaya mean, relax?" he demanded, blinking in an effort to clear his suddenly blurred vision. "Whaddid you do to me?"

"Just a sedative," Carolyn replied in the same even tone. "You'll wake up in a few hours."

"I can't--I have to go with them…" he slurred, sinking back on the pillows.

"And I had a feeling that Martouf would want to come along," Sam finished as Daniel's eyes slid closed.

The Tok'ra looked momentarily surprised and offered her a faint smile, and Landry gave a nod. "Then you have a go, SG-1," he said, then added half seriously, "Try to get her home before he wakes up."


	26. Beginning of the End

Alek's ship glided gracefully to a landing outside the Dakara temple, and he took a breath. He hated to admit being nervous, but the dryness of his mouth and his suddenly increased heart rate couldn't be denied. He slowly walked out of the cockpit and opened the hatch, trying to reassure himself that the real reason for his uncertainty had to be the considerable risk he was taking in pursuing this little meeting. Mercenaries weren't accustomed to taking large and essentially unnecessary risks. Vala, though could be extremely convincing when she needed to be.

When he'd discovered her tinkering with his hyperdrive engines while he and Brannen were supposed to be hunting in the preserve the day before, it had occurred to him quite quickly that he could justifiably kill her, and if his information about the bracelets she and Brannen wore was correct, he would then be rid of Daegar as well. She'd very quickly made him a counterproposal which, at time, had seemed more than agreeable, but as he descended the ramp into the formidable presence of several large, armed and angry looking Jaffa, he abruptly realized that Vala hadn't actually promised anything.

_Oh, she's good,_ he thought as he bowed to the old man who could only be Bra'tac. _She's very good._

"Master Bra'tac," he said aloud. "I have a message for you from Vala Mal Doran-Jackson."

------ 

"Is it true they have a genetic memory?" Brannen asked, twirling the cylindrical silver vial between his fingers. He walked slowly over to the vat Alek had brought him, which was now emptied of water and held only the slithering purplish mass of the live symbiote.

"Yes," Vala replied carefully. She hugged her arms around her torso to suppress a shudder. "But it won't help you. It won't give you what you want."

"All I want is an end to them," Brannen shrugged as he raised his hand to slide the vial into a slot at the top of the enclosure. "Damnable creatures," he muttered half under his breath. "Inestimable lifespans…stealing immortality…no right to exist…"

"For once I agree with you," Vala admitted. A metallic click signaled that the mechanism within had locked on the vial, and Brannen shoved on it with his thumb, shattering the partition that separated the two chemicals and releasing the vapor.

The symbiote's writhing became momentarily frenzied, and Vala had to force herself not to squeeze her eyes shut as it flopped sickeningly about. When it finally grew still, he smiled with satisfaction. "It works," he nodded, sounding slightly surprised.

"Brannen," Vala began, maintaining the same careful tone she'd used earlier. "What are you planning?"

"An end," he replied. "A blessed end, Vala, to Goa'uld and Tok'ra alike. Surely you can't object after what Qetesh did to you?"

"What about the hosts?" Vala asked. "Innocent human hosts…"

"Innocent like you were?" Brannen's lips twisted into a cruel smile, and she grit her teeth against the retort she would have liked to make.

The pound of running feet in the hall made both their eyes widen, and he raced to open the door, thrusting his head out into the hallway where one of his lieutenants skidded to a halt in front of him.

"Brannen, the Stargate just activated, but the men report nothing came through," he said a bit breathlessly.

"Double the detail on every entrance to the compound," Brannen ordered.

_Daniel, you delicious genius_, Vala thought, but her elation was short lived as Brannen spun to face her again, slamming shut the door.

"What are they doing?" he demanded.

"I haven't a clue," she replied honestly, taking a step back. "Really, Brannen, I don't…"

------

"Creepy," Cam said with a grimace as he followed Jack directly though one of the guards.

"Daniel wasn't kidding when he said this was disconcerting," observed Sam

The group had gone entirely unseen from the Stargate to one of the tunnel entrances Jade knew just inside the protective force field Brannen used to keep his game--and other things-- inside the preserve. Coming out in a storage room about three levels up, they found the hall congested with heavily armed mercenaries.

"He's probably holding Vala in his private quarters," Jade said, fighting the urge to whisper. "In the tower."

"Tower?" Jack repeated. "Of course. Insane guy with an impregnable fortress…where else would he hold a hostage but in a tower? All right," he sighed, looking at back at Jade. "You know your way around this place. Lead the way."

Without the necessity of avoiding Brannen's guards, they made their way rather quickly to the tower, where familiar voices could clearly be heard inside. Jack and Cam pushed past the Tok'ra and barreled through the door, flanked by Teal'c and Sam, but they were met with the sight of an apparently empty room.

"The balcony!" Sam cried, spinning toward the direction of Vala's voice. The team raced outside, but froze at a silent signal from Jack. Vala and Brannen were faced off by the safety rail, and she'd just delivered a hard kick to his knee. Both staggered back a bit in pain, but Brannen managed to keep his knife in hand.

"Have you lost your mind?" Vala shouted. "If you stab me, we'll both die!"

Brannen seemed not to hear, his face red with rage, and he advanced on her again. She narrowly avoided a swipe from his blade, and Jack grabbed the Heand crystal from his breast pocket, rushing to intercept her attacker before he could take another swing.

"All right, now!" he ordered, slamming his own crystal into the slot in his wristband.

The swirl of neutrinos caught Brannen's attention as SG-1 came back into phase with weapons raised. Vala took advantage of his distraction and made a grab for his wrist, but a familiar noise sounded as they began to struggle for it, and several Al'kesh screamed down out of the sky, firing on the fortress.

A shot impacted with the side of the tower, and the whole balcony shook. Vala grabbed the rail to steady herself, but Brannen was thrown off balance, and both tumbled sideways over it.

"Vala!" Jack shouted, diving forward to grab at her disappearing arm.

**  
**


	27. End of the Beginning

Jack's fingers closed around her wrist, and Vala reached frantically upward, clutching his arm with her other hand. Brannen clung to her waist, and the big man's weight made her feel as if her body would rip apart. He continued to struggle, apparently now determined to pull them both to their deaths, and she kicked instinctively, trying to jar him loose while Bra'tac's ships continued to fire on the building.

"Don't!" warned Jack through teeth clenched with the effort of holding her. "You gotta get the bracelet off!"

"Well, I'm slipping!" Vala yelled back. "Do something!"

"I'm trying to!" Jack replied, looking over his shoulder toward the rest of the team. "Mitchell! Help me! Teal'c, get on the radio, and tell Bra'tac to cease fire before he knocks them off!"

"I am attempting to do so presently, O'Neill," Teal'c replied as Cam scrambled forward to grab Vala's arms.

The beginning of her pregnant belly, though, was making Brannen's grip impossibly awkward, and his arms began to slip. As Jack and Cam hauled her backwards, Brannen slid lower, until his arms were wrapped around her knees, and Vala screamed in pain.

"Don't let go!" Jack told her urgently. "Vala--don't--let go!"

Without having to be told, Sam hurried over as well and knelt opposite Cameron, working with deft fingers to access the control crystal that would release the Goa'uld bracelet from Vala's wrist. As Jack and Cameron managed to drag her back onto the balcony though, Brannen finally slipped. Vala screamed again, then her body went completely limp and unresponsive.

"C'mon, Carter, get it off her!" Jack barked.

"I am, sir," replied Sam without looking up.

A second later, the crystal activated and the bracelet slid off, but Vala didn't move. Across her still body, Cameron's gaze met Jack's. The young CO's eyes slid closed, and he shook his head in disbelief.

"Aw, Jackson, you so owe me for this," he sighed as Jack began resuscitation. He didn't hesitate, though, and crawled over to her head. Her eyes flew open as he bent toward her lips, and he let out a sigh of relief.

"Well, hello…" Vala smiled.

"Thank God," Cam sighed again, sitting back on his heels.

Vala smirked and sat up. "Well, it's nice to see you, too, Mitchell," she said teasingly, before Jack and Sam both wrapped their arms around her.

"Are you all right?" Sam asked against her shoulder.

She nodded, returning the hug tightly for a moment, until Jack pulled away and looked toward the door. "Carter…?" he asked slowly. "Where the hell are the Tok'ra?" 

------ 

"Where exactly are we going?" Martouf asked as he followed Jade down the long stone corridor.

"We'd finally been able to figure out where Brannen kept his real records," Jade explained, "but we hadn't been able to access them because he was watching us too closely by then. I have the system passcodes, so retrieving the information we need shouldn't take long."

She led him to the locked door of the records room, and they stepped through it, waiting until they were safely inside before turning off the Heand armbands. Jade made her way over to the computer and pulled back the chair, leaning over the console. A few moments later, though, she let out a hiss of frustration.

"Martouf, the system's been wiped," she said, hanging her head in defeat. "It's not here."

------

Daniel's breath caught in his throat as the 'Gate opened. She came through first, and despite Carolyn's restraining hand on his shoulder, he pushed himself out of the infirmary wheelchair and ran up the ramp to meet her.

Her arms slid around his neck, and he pulled her against him, heedless of the stitches or the pain of contact. Their lips met with passionate desperation, and he felt her beginning to shake. He held her tighter, let his mouth slide gently off hers to press against her forehead, and closed his eyes against his own tears.

"Brannen said he'd killed you," she half-whispered, her fingers slipping back over his neck to caress the sides of his face.

"He didn't," Daniel whispered against the softness of her skin, then pulled reluctantly back and cupped her face in his hands. "Did he hurt you?"

"No," Vala promised quietly.

Daniel stared searchingly at her for a moment, then finally nodded acceptance. Drawing her back into his arms, he held her silently for a long time, then slowly led her down onto to the 'Gate room floor, followed by the grinning members of SG-1, Bra'tac, and the Tok'ra.

"It is indeed a pleasure to see you reunited with your old lady, DanielJackson," Teal'c said as they reached the end of the ramp.

"Yeah…" Daniel started to smile, then he blinked in surprise and turned to face his friend. "My--my what?"

"His _what?"_ Vala demanded.


	28. Fatherhood Bites

He felt her stirring beside him and instantly woke, shifting in the gray pre-dawn chill to wrap his arms around her. She settled back down against him, resting her head on his shoulder, and Daniel shivered pleasantly at the warmth of her breath on his neck. Vala's hand smoothed gently over his bare side, automatically avoiding the stitches that covered his torso now.

"Daniel," she wet her lips thoughtfully. "Do you know what I'd _really_ love right now?"

"Mmmm," he smiled, shaking his head playfully. "What's that?"

Vala dipped her head to touch her lips against his shoulder and let them linger there for a moment, then slowly moved up to leave a soft kiss, all too briefly on his mouth. "Pancakes," she whispered.

Daniel blinked. "Pancakes?"

Vala nodded seriously. "And ice cream. We still have ice cream left, don't we?"

"Are you nuts?" Daniel cried, pulling away.

Vala's eyes widened, and she stared at him with a wounded expression. She said nothing for a long moment, then rolled over and struggled to sit up. "No," she replied in a trembling tone. "I'm not nuts, Daniel, I'm pregnant."

Daniel winced and sat up as well, suddenly and acutely conscious of his own impending fatherhood. Gently, he wrapped an arm around her, leaning his chin over her shoulder. "I'm sorry," he murmured sincerely.

"It's bad enough I'm getting fat," Vala complained. "None of my clothes fit, I'm never comfortable…my body's doing all these strange things…all I want is pancakes and ice cream, and you call me nuts!"

Daniel closed his eyes, repressed a weary sigh, and kissed her temple. "I guess I'm the biggest jerk in the world," he said as he pulled back the covers. "Would breakfast in bed help?"

"I suppose," Vala allowed stiffly.

"Here," he said, gently guiding her back onto the pillows as he climbed out of bed. "You--you just go back to sleep. I'll get it."

Vala sniffled, but obediently closed her eyes, listening as his bare feet padded out of the room. She didn't open them again until his footfalls had descended the stairs and faded toward the kitchen. Then she gave a contented sigh and sat up again, leaning across the bed to rest her head on the warmth of his abandoned pillow, a broad smirk playing on her lips.


	29. Priorities

**  
**

Daniel sat back, rubbing his eyes tiredly with his thumb and forefinger, and let the pencil drop onto the desk. His shoulders burned with the strain of hunching over his books for so long, and he winced, twisting his head and rotating them in an effort to loosen the muscles.

"Are you ready?" Vala appeared in the doorway.

"Huh?" he blinked in confusion, his head bobbling as he looked from her carefully done hair to the new dress to the matching purse in her hand and back to her face.

Her eyes darkened, narrowing angrily, and she flung her hand down, slapping the purse on her leg in frustration. "We're supposed to meet Sam and Jack in ten minutes. You haven't even taken a shower, have you?"

"Oh!" Daniel's mouth dropped open. He shoved back his chair, fumbling his way to around the desk, but she had already turned and stalked back to the living room. "Vala, I'm sorry, I--"

"I know," she snapped without turning. "You lost track of time and forgot."

"Well--well, lemme--lemme get dressed," Daniel said, following her out.

"Never mind," she shook her head, sighing as she grabbed the phone off the end table. "By the time you're ready, we'll have lost the reservation now."

"Maybe we can go somewhere else," he attempted, wincing as she spun around, still clutching the phone, to glare at him furiously.

"I don't _want_ to go somewhere else, Daniel. You knew that Sam and I were looking forward to this!"

"Baby, I'm sorry," he said again, helplessly hanging his head.

Vala bit her lip, momentarily contrite. Then she looked down as well and caught sight of the dress. Her expression hardened again at the memory of several hours spent shopping for it. Normally, of course, several hours' worth of shopping would have brought a smile to her face, especially since in this case, it had meant carte blanche with Daniel's credit cards. However, when the entire excursion had consisted of wriggling in and out of various outfits in an attempt to find one that was reasonably attractive, not too tight, and hid her pregnant belly, a platinum Visa lost it's appeal.

"You were supposed to be on leave for another week," she reminded him dully, lifting the phone to her ear.

------

"Pucker up, Carter," Jack said as he crossed the bedroom floor. He slid his hands up Sam's arms onto her shoulders, and she turned away from the vanity mirror with a raised eyebrow.

"Is that an order…sir?" she asked, holding her mouth just out of reach.

Jack frowned. "Does it have to be?"

"Nope," Sam grinned, her hand reaching gently around to pull his head down further toward her lips.

Just as he felt the firm warmth of her mouth again, the phone rang, and she pulled away, hurrying over to the bed to pick it up. Jack hung his head, sighing quietly, both at the interruption and the sneaking suspicion that he knew who was on the phone and why. Sam hung up a few moments later, and his hunch was confirmed.

"She's really upset," Sam sighed, sitting down on the bed.

"That surprises you why?" Jack asked ironically.

"It doesn't," she replied, smiling a little.

"Well," he said as he began to shuck off his suit jacket, "Maybe I can have 'em bump the reservations to tomorrow night."

"They have lamaze tomorrow night," Sam reminded him.

"Ah. Right," he nodded, trying to pretend he hadn't completely forgotten the childbirth classes as he walked over to sit beside her. "You ok?" he asked.

"I'm fine," she smiled fondly, not fooled in the slightest. "But y'know, maybe I should go over there."

"C'mon, Sam," he sighed. "They're big kids. Let 'em work out their own problems."

"Yeah," she nodded. "But--I don't know--Vala seems really down lately. She could use a friend."

"Sarah was like that a lot when she was pregnant with Charlie," Jack replied with a shrug. "Daniel's a sensitive guy. He'll figure out what he needs to do."

"I hope you're right," Sam said, lacing her fingers through his.

"Course I'm right," Jack said, purposely keeping his face entirely serious. "Didn't you know I'm the authority on handling pregnant women?"

------

Vala flopped down on the couch beside Nick, wrapping her arms tightly around one knee. She had changed out of her dress and donned one of Daniel's t-shirts, as she usually did when she was ready for bed, but neither had spoken a word since the argument. He had escaped upstairs, and a few minutes later, they heard the shower belatedly start to run.

"Do you want me to talk to him?" Nick asked, the newspaper wrinkling as he set it aside to look at her. She didn't smile as he thought she would; in fact, if anything, her pout became more pronounced.

"I don't think there's really anything to say," she replied.

Nick's heavy brow furrowed, and he sighed, lowering his chin to his chest. "I will talk to him anyway," he decided, but before he could get up, Daniel appeared on the stairs, barefoot and shirtless, water from his wet hair dripping down his neck.

He made his way slowly down to them, frowning studiously at something in his hand. "Hey, Vala, I think we're out of shampoo," he murmured absently. "All we had in there were a couple of these trial size--"

Her shriek cut him off, and his head shot up, eyes bulging as she lunged for the heavy reference book he'd left on the end table. He dove quickly out of the way, and it skimmed his hai, but fell harmlessly to the floor. "What?!?" he demanded, just before the floor smacked him in the face. "Ow…"

------

"I don't think I ever told you what happened between your grandmother and I," Nick said, sliding into the chair opposite Daniel at the kitchen table.

"No, don't think you did," came the rather nasally reply from behind the ice-pack.

"She used to travel with me," Nick started, and Daniel let the icepack slide away from his face, regarding his grandfather with surprised interest. Today it would have been accepted for an explorer like Nick to travel with a wife; possibly even a family. In his grandparents day, though, such a thing was, to say the least, a departure from the norm.

"Mom never told me that," he commented.

"No," Nick shook his head. "Claire wouldn't have remembered. The arrangement worked well until Amanda was pregnant, but then…it was too hard on her. And I should have recognized that; part of me did, but then I didn't want to admit it because I would have had to send her back to America. She was alone when your mother was born, Daniel. I had left her in camp to explore a temple we had found a few days earlier. I lost track of the time, didn't make it back until the next day. Amanda said she wasn't angry, but not long after that she did go back to America with Claire. Things between us were never the same."

Daniel closed his eyes, covering his face with his hands. "I thought I learned this lesson, Nick," he sighed, pushing back his chair to stand. "Thank you."

Slowly rising, he made his way back into the living room, but Vala wasn't there. He bit his lip pensively and headed for the stairs, hoping that at least she hadn't locked the bedroom door this time. With Nick in the guest room, that would leave him only the couch--or possibly the floor in the baby's room, and though the corners of his mouth unconsciously tugged upward at the thought of _the baby's room,_ sleeping there wasn't something he wanted to try.

A slight sigh escaped as he found that the door was, in fact, unlocked, and he poked his head cautiously inside. "Can I come in?"

"You're in, aren't you?" Vala said from the bed. She was lying on her side and didn't turn to look at him. Daniel hung his head again and slipped passed the door, letting it close quietly behind him.

"Vala…" he trailed off, suddenly unsure of even what to say. He walked silently over to the bed and sat down, staring at his toes. "Nothing's more important to me than you," he promised finally.

"I'm sorry for throwing the book at you," she said awkwardly.

Daniel's head came up in surprise. He twisted to look over his shoulder at her, a hesitant half smile on his lips. "Seems like all I keep doing lately is apologizing for something," he said, wetting his lips as he reached to gently tuck her hair back behind her ear.

"Danira says that's the male province when it comes to pregnancy and childbirth," Vala said, allowing a momentary smile.

"Yeah, well, your sister's a little…" he broke off, suddenly seizing on an idea.

"A little what?" Vala frowned.

"Um…nothing," Daniel said, having to fight the urge to change the subject. He knew--_knew_--that he would regret what he was about to say. But he also knew how unhappy she was going to be in another week when he went back to work. He'd be offworld again, and she, who was used to being able to come and go largely as she pleased, would be stuck home with nothing to do. "Listen, I was thinking…"

"Hmm?" she turned over, propping her head on her elbow to look at him.

Daniel restrained a sigh. "Maybe I could talk Landry into letting Danira and Meagain come for a visit."

"Could they?" her grin melted the last of his resistance, and he nodded, bending to press his lips against her neck.

"Just don't mention the whole idea of citizenship by marriage," he said.

**  
**


	30. Illusion

**  
**Vala reached unconsciously for Daniel's hand as they stood on the 'Gateroom floor, and he was surprised to feel her fingers shaking. By all appearances she had been the embodiment of diffidence about her sisters' impending arrival, despite the fact that she had hardly seen either of them in the past two years. He turned toward her, smiling a little.

"Nervous?" he asked.

"Me?" she feigned confusion.

Daniel's smile only widened, and he leaned over to kiss her temple as the Gate opened. Danira came through first, elegantly attired in white, with the same intricately braided hair that Daniel recalled from the few visits he and the rest of SG-1 had made to her adopted homeworld. Meagain followed, the seventeen-year old dressed far too much like Vala had when she arrived on Earth, and Daniel held firmly resisted the urge to groan.

Both sisters grinned widely as they reached the bottom of the ramp, and Danira stretched out her arms, her typical poise forgotten in a squeal of delight as she rushed toward Vala. Daniel expected her to run out to meet them, but Vala, surprisingly remained tightly attached to his hand, her eyes locked not on her sisters but the purple-blossomed potted plant that Meagain was carrying.

"What's wrong?" Daniel whispered, but any reply Vala would have made was lost to several minutes of hopping, hugging, cheek-kissing and shrieking over Vala's swollen abdomen. Even she momentarily forgot the flowers, caught up in her sisters' seemingly inexhaustible excitement.

It was a full minute before even Meagain turned her attention on him, for which Daniel was more than a little grateful, although he knew it wouldn't last. Soon enough, she did remember he was there, and he tried not to stiffen at the way her head snuggled down on his shoulder as she hugged him or jump too much when the swat to his backside came. Danira managed to comport herself with a bit more dignity, but even she got in a few well placed cheek-pinchings before Landry bustled over to greet them.

Daniel wasn't surprised to find that Danira asserted a love for men in uniform and that Meagain "simply adored" older men. He ran his hand wearily through his hair, following Landry and the girls out of the Gate room, but his eyes drifted toward Vala, whose attention was again settled on the plant.

It wasn't until later that he discovered why, though. Meagain and Danira were busy exclaiming over the house, and he quietly slipped upstairs, leaving them with a rather astounded Nick. He found Vala at her vanity table in the bedroom. A delicate new perfume already filled the room, and he could see the plant on the table beside her hairbrush.

"What is it?" he asked, frowning as he peered over her shoulder to find a crumpled purple-white blossom in the palm of her hand.

"Alaedis blossoms," she murmured quietly, biting her lip. "Luckflowers. Pregnant women are supposed to braid them in their hair. It assures…" she paused, clearing her throat sardonically…" not only a healthy pregnancy, but a happy childhood and a lifetime of good luck. Some say even true love comes to the child whose mother wears these in her hair."

Daniel tilted his head slightly, his hand slipping onto her shoulder. "Babe, traditions like that have value in how they…"

"My mother wore them," Vala cut him off softly.

Daniel nodded and didn't say anything for a while. Then, quietly, he leaned forward to pick up the brush. Vala frowned, turning sideways to look at him, but gentle hands guided her head back the other way.

"What are you doing?" she asked in a near whisper.

"Braiding your hair," he replied as the brush began to work its way through.

"Daniel," she sighed, though she didn't stop him. "Luck is an illusion."

"Love isn't," he smiled.  
**  
**


	31. Invitation

**  
**

Still focused on the report in her hand, Carolyn picked the quarter up out of the coffee machine's return tray and reinserted it twice before realizing why it wouldn't work. Frowning, she pulled it back and stared down at her hand in consternation.

"A Canadian," she sighed. "I don't believe it."

"Here," a familiar, gravelly voice said over her shoulder, and Landry plunked an American quarter into her hand.

"Thank you," she smiled as she inserted it into the slot. "So, how was meeting the sisters?"

Her father's eyebrows rose. "Well, it was--interesting," he said with a laugh.

"I'll bet," Carolyn smiled again, sliding a plastic cover over the hot coffee as it finished brewing. "Oh--hey, Dad--I was wondering…"

"Yeah?"

"Are you busy for dinner tomorrow?" her smile became suddenly hesitant. "I'll make mashed potatoes and gravy."

**  
**


	32. Bored

**  
**"Is this what you do every day?" Meagain asked, her eyebrows arching inward in a frown toward her older sister, who was fussily rearranging the assortment of stuffed animals with which the male members of SG-1 had already populated the nursery.

"No," Vala replied, turning to glare at the girl, still rather annoyed with the fact that Meagain had appropriated the rocking chair as a place to paint her nails. Though she complained of boredom, she seemed content enough with her boot heel propped on the baby's crib, lazily pushing the chair back and forth.

"I like this one, Vala," Danira spoke up from where she perched on the dresser with a home shopping catalogue. Vala walked over to look, but before she could see the latest prize, Meagain let out a sigh.

"Well, what _do_ you do now anyway? Daniel's been gone for hours and all we've done is keep house like a bunch of--"

"Usually," interrupted Vala, turning toward her again, "I'm offworld with him and the rest of SG-1. Which at the moment isn't an option."

"Why, because Daniel says so?" Meagain demanded. "Come on, Vala, as if pregnancy ought to stop you from doing as you please. I think you've lost your edge!"

"What?" Vala's eyes flew wide. "Why of all the impertinent--"

"Oh, Meagain, do shut up!" Danira interrupted, sliding down to swat the youngest sister on the crown of her head with the catalogue. "Don't listen to her, Vala."

Meagain snatched the catalogue without thinking, then glanced down with a disgusted sigh at her now ruined nails. Leaning forward again, she tugged a wad of Kleenex out of the box perched on the crib railing and began wiping the wet polish off. "I'm sorry, Vala," she sighed, hopping to her feet. "But can't we go do something?"

"Like what?" Danira planted her hands sternly on her hips.

"I don't know, anything!" Meagain tossed her head, beginning to pace the room, and then spun to face her sisters again. "Can we go visit that lovely general again?"

"Well…" Vala bit her lip, considering.

"Oh, _please! "_ Meagain pleaded. "I'm so bored!"

"No," Vala decided. Meagain's face fell, and she let out another sigh, slapping the catalogue against her forehead. Then Vala's broke into a grin. "I have a better idea."

Danira looked at her, eyebrow rising in a token show of disapproval, but Vala walked over to the door and peered out for a moment, making sure that Nick was still safely downstairs. She eased it closed and leaned her back against it, eyes gleaming as she looked at her sisters, who were both by then eyeing her with eager grins of their own.

"I know where Brannen hid the symbiote poison," Vala told them. "Alek Tarkin has a buyer lined up."

"You mean you lied to Daniel?" Meagain asked, genuinely surprised.

"Well. Technically? No. I lied to Landry and the Tok'ra. Daniel just happened to be in the room. Now. Here's what we're going to do…" 


	33. Truth and Lies

  
"Looks like Vala was right" Jacob grimaced, looking up from the intelligence report in his hand. Jade felt herself pale, and she was suddenly very glad of Martouf's supportive hand on her shoulder. Things hadn't gone well for her since their departure from Earth. The Council didn't take well to the news that she had failed a second time in recovering the poison, and now to think that Brannen had in fact, not been killed… 

"The bracelets must have had something to do with it…" Martouf murmured, although Jade could tell he didn't quite believe that. Vala had insisted that Brannen hadn't died, but he hadn't believed it. The likelihood of someone surviving a fall like that was just too slim.

"The 'how' isn't important at the moment. What matters is that he's apparently holed up here," Jacob related, laying the report on the desk which indicated a gas giant with several inhabitable moons. "My guess is the poison's somewhere close by."

//"Then, we should go before the Lucian Alliance makes a bid for it,"// Simone spoke up.

//"Agreed,"// nodded Selmak.

------

"Whee, now _this_ is fun!" Meagain exclaimed as the Al'kesh lifted off. She grinned widely at her sisters—neither of whom returned the expression. Vala was too busy piloting the ship out of Earth's atmosphere, and Danira was … well … she was Danira.

"We're not exactly taking the ship on a joyride, Meagain," the elder sister said with a sigh.

"Oh, posh, Danira. Stop pretending you're not enjoying yourself as much as Vala and I."

"You're becoming entirely too fresh, young lady," Danira retorted.

Meagain ignored her, turning to Vala instead. "Really ingenious, hiding a ship in those old dusty ruins. I'll bet Daniel doesn't even suspect you've got a way off the planet."

"Actually, I think he does," replied Vala. "The Goa'uld inhabited Earth for thousands of years and used their pyramids and temples this way. Daniel knows that quite well."

"But--haven't you made him think you love him?" Meagain's eyes widened.

"Wh--shut up, you superficial little snip!" Danira snapped as their sister stiffened. "Of course Vala loves Daniel!"

-----

"I think I made too much," Carolyn commented as she snapped the Tupperware lid in place over the last container of leftovers. Dinner with her father had somehow become a weekly affair since her first invitation, and while she admittedly enjoyed cooking, she had also gone a bit overboard this time. There was enough meatloaf and mashed potatoes left to feed half the SGC.

Hank smiled a little. "Y'know, your mother always did say it was better to cook too much and have leftovers than to not cook enough and have hungry guests."

"Yeah, but leftover potatoes are disgusting," Carolyn replied.

"What do you say we take it all over to the sisters," Hank suggested. "I doubt very much that Vala's going to want to cook anything."

"Sounds good to me," Carolyn agreed.

------

"I knew I shoulda left that thing home," Jack sighed as his cell phone began to ring. He scrambled off the ground beside the firepit and made his way back to the truck. Voicemail picked up just as he reached the door, but whoever it was just hung up and called again.

He reached through the window for it and sighed when he recognized the number. Thumbing the talk button, he said, "Hey…y'know, not only am I on vacation, but I'm retired!"

"Yes, I know, Jack," Hank Landry's voice replied. "Listen, I need to know if Vala and her sisters are with you."

"Uh…camping?" Jack arched an eyebrow.

"I didn't think so either," Landry admitted, "but I just stopped by the house with Carolyn. They told Daniel's granddad that they were going with you."

"And he believed them?" Jack responded, running a hand through his short hair. "How long ago'd they leave?"

"Apparently, yesterday morning sometime," Landry said.

"Which means that UFO report this afternoon was probably them," Jack sighed. "All right. Gimme an hour to get back to town."

------

"Remember where we parked," Vala said jokingly as the sisters clanked down the ramp onto the forest floor. Danira and Meagain turned toward her, frowning questioningly, and she paused. "Tau'ri expression. Nevermind."

The other two eyed one another over her head but said nothing, following her out into the clearing where the Stargate sat neglected. "Are you sure it's here?" Meagain asked, but before Vala could say anything, the 'Gate began to spin.

"Hide!" Danira shouted.

"Huh?" Meagain's mouth dropped open, but the elder sister grabbed her arm, ducking quickly behind a tree. Vala, however, stumbled and was still visible as the Tok'ra came through the Gate.

Cursing softly, she got to her feet, fixing a wide grin on the Tok'ra as they emerged from the event horizon. "Hi!"


	34. Charmed

  
"Aren't you supposed to be on Earth?" Jacob asked, eyebrows rising in surprise at the sight of Vala waving hello. Jade and Martouf came through the gate on either side of him and eyed each other with a mutual sigh.

"Earth?" Vala replied.

"With your sisters?" Jacob reminded her.

"Us?" Meagain called from behind the tree, and Vala winced.

"Well, Earth is such a boring little backwater planet," she grinned. "I didn't blame my poor sisters for being bored."

"So, you decided to come cause trouble for Brannen?" Jacob asked, folding his arms.

"Brannen?" Meagain squeaked as she and Danira stepped up beside their sister.

Vala managed not to pale. "Yes! Yes, that's it exactly. You know I can't ever leave well enough alone. I suppose we should have told Meagain that Brannen was here, Danira, " she added with a sorrowful expression.

Danira, picking up the cue, nodded apologetically to their youngest sibling. "We didn't want to frighten you, darling…"

Jacob rolled his eyes and looked at Jade, who shook her head, not believing a word. "Well, I suppose we'd better all get out of sight if we intend to get the poison," he said, shaking his head and walking off. Jade and Martouf shared an exasperated look and followed, but they weren't quite out of earshot when Meagain giggled.

"Oh, boy, are you in trouble now, Vala," she whispered.

"Shut up," Vala told her.

"How is it that you always manage to be in the wrong place at the right time?" Danira hissed as the sisters hurried after the Tok'ra.

"I lead a charmed life," Vala replied. 


	35. Triple Cross

Before they'd gotten more than a kilometer from the Stargate, a staff blast lanced through the trees, scattering them. Vala landed in the dirt again and groaned loudly, twisting onto her side to fire a zat back at their attackers. The shot struck, taking down the one directly to the right of the leader, but more armored men dropped from the trees behind them. The Tok'ra spun to face them, aiming their own zats but found themselves facing staff weapons and reluctantly lowered their arms in surrender.

"You didn't mention getting caught, Vala," Meagain said casually.

"Well, you know," Vala shrugged. "I like to keep you on your toes."

"Shut up you two," the leader barked, gesturing with a clipped motion of his hand for the captives to be bound.

Alek quickly grabbed Vala, making a show of forcing her arms behind her back. She struggled a bit until he pulled her against his chest, muttering close to her ear, "The guy you shot was one of mine."

"Well, you didn't tell me where you were going to be," she whispered back, closing her fingers around the cool metal of the knife he slipped into her hand.

He pushed her forward again without response and followed the others through the woods. After twenty minutes and a good deal of shoving and whispering, they emerged on the edge of a large lake, where Brannen lounged with a familiar bearded figure.

"Well. Looks like you were right, Daegar," Ba'al commented, slightly surprised.

Jade sucked in a breath at the sight of the Goa'uld, who grinned back. She managed to recover her wits, though, and turned to Martouf. "They're not exactly keeping a low profile are they?" she observed flippantly. Vala tensed as the Tok'ra spoke, stepping up her effort to cut herself free of the ropes around her wrists. She shot Danira a glance, hoping her sister would take the hint and be ready to move should the Tok'ra's offhand comments goad their captors into acting sooner than the sisters had anticipated.

"Neither one of them are particularly known for that," remarked Jacob.

"Droll, Tok'ra, very droll," Brannen remarked. "I think we'll kill you first."

"Kill them?" Alek coughed. "Now wait a second, nobody said anything about killing them. This was supposed to be about bounty."

"It isn't anymore," Brannen shrugged. "Is that going to be an issue for you, Alek?"

"As a matter of fact, yes it is," replied Alek as he casually pulled a zat out of his belt and fired off a shot at the lead guard. In the confusion that followed, Vala spun, snapping her hands free to grab the nearest guard's staff weapon. He took a step back, jaw dropping in surprise, and she swung hard, delivering a blow to the side of his head. Danira, still bound, sent a kick into the stomach of the guard beside her and turned to catch the knife as Vala threw it to her.

The rest of the guards had closed ranks around Ba'al and Brannen by then, but the lake behind them began to roil as Alek's ship rose out of it. Vala turned to him with an appreciative grin. "Neat trick!" she exclaimed.

"There's a reason it's called the _Seaflight_," Alek smiled back, gesturing toward the ship with a flourish.

Danira quickly moved to untie Meagain and they started toward the ship as the ramp opened on the water's surface. Vala and Alek backed on after them, keeping their weapons trained on the guards.

"Hey!" Jade called loudly after them. "What about us?"

"Oh…" Alek nodded as he and Vala reached the hatch. The guards turned suddenly, now aiming their staffs at Brannen and the Goa'uld. "Well, I'm sure my friends will untie you. After we're safely gone."

------

"Right where you said it would be," Alek admitted as he ducked out of the cargo bay. He turned, palming the lock before Vala could worm her way in past him. "And now it'll stay safely locked in there until we reach the rendezvous point."

"Of course," Vala smiled, her hand sliding up the mercenary's chest as she moved her face closer to his. "You know, Alek, I really haven't thanked you properly for your help down there."

Alek smiled knowingly, his own hand moving to catch her chin between his fingers. "What about your husband?" he asked pointedly.

Vala bit her lip as if in thought. "Well…" she replied. "What Daniel doesn't know won't hurt him."

"I see," Alek said slowly. She took a step back and reached for his hands, leading him slowly backwards toward the door to his quarters. He followed, still slightly hesitant, until they reached the door and she turned suddenly, shoving his back up against it. The door slid open to reveal Danira and Meagain, both smiling, on either side of him, and Vala shoved him backward into the room.

------

Lying on his stomach on a ridge overlooking the rendezvous point, Cam let out a breath and reached up to remove the sweat-drenched cap from his head. "You sure this guy's legit, Jackson?" he asked.

Daniel pushed out his bottom lip in thought. "Well, as legit as any of Vala's mercenary contacts can be. To be honest, I wouldn't trust Alek Tarkin at all except that his offer came through Bra'tac."

"Yeah," Cam said slowly. "How exactly did that happen anyway?"

Daniel shrugged. "Apparently, after his original buyer backed out, he didn't want to give up on the prospect of selling the symbiote poison. After his little talk with Vala while she was with Brannen, he knew that Earth and our allies would be willing to pay as much, if not more, between us than he could get on the black market. Especially after he realized that stealing the poison was going to pit him against not only Brannen but Ba'al and most of the other remaining Goa'uld in the galaxy."

"And put him in direct competition with his former buds from the Lucian Alliance," Cam nodded, raising his head as he spotted the ship entering the planet's atmosphere. They waited several more minutes, until the ship had landed and the hatches opened.

"Is that…?" Sam started to say, raising her binoculars for a closer look at the trio that descended the ramp.

"I knew it," Cam groaned without even having to look.

"As did I," agreed Teal'c.

Daniel's hand shot out to snatch the binoculars from Sam and he peered down himself. "I'm gonna kill her," he declared, scrambling to his feet.

------

"Vala!" an all too familiar voice shouted as the sisters cleared the ramp. Her head whipped toward the ridge above them, eyes widening as she spotted not only Daniel but all of SG-1 bounding down the rocks toward them.

"Daniel?" Danira asked, frowning worriedly at the sound of her brother-in-law's furious tone.

"What's he doing here?" Meagain whispered nervously.

"I haven't the slightest," Danira replied as Vala smoothly stepped toward SG-1.

She raised her hand in a casual wave, grinning brightly. "Hello, darling!" she said enthusiastically, running toward him.

"Don't you _hello darling_ me!" he glared, holding her at arm's length. "What are you three doing here? Nevermind. Where's Alek?"

"Who?" she asked, still smiling.

"Alek Tarkin. The guy who owns this ship!" Daniel snapped. "Whaddid you do with him?"

"Oh, him?" Vala's smile faltered and she tilted her head to avoid his gaze. "Well, he's…"

"Where?" Daniel demanded again, following her eyes with his.

"He's inside," Vala shrugged, and the rest of SG-1 quickly slid past them to enter the ship. Daniel dropped his hands from her shoulders and grabbed her arm, storming off after his teammates with her in tow.

"I can't believe you did this," he muttered as he clomped up the ramp. "Where is he?"

"Did what?" Vala demanded, yanking her arm in an attempt to free herself. "He's in his quarters. Let go of me, Daniel, I can walk!"

"You lied to me," Daniel said flatly, flinging free her arm to stalk through the ship.

"No, I didn't," Vala asserted, hurrying after him. "Daniel--"

"What?" he demanded. "How exactly did you not lie to me? You said you had no idea where Brannen hid the symbiote poison!"

"She lied to Landry and the Tok'ra," Meagain spoke up from behind them. "You just happened to be in the room."

They reached the door to Alek's quarters and Daniel whirled, glaring first at her and then back at his wife. After a moment, though, his shoulders sagged. "Vala, I thought we were past this," he said softly.

"Wh--I--" Vala's mouth dropped open at the change in his tone, but she broke off as Sam released the locking mechanism and the door whooshed softly open to reveal Alek, stripped to his underwear and tied to the bed. "Um," Vala gulped, looking from him to Daniel. "Ewwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwww…"


	36. Stolen Moments

The rest of the team moved quickly into the bedroom to free Alek, but Daniel stood immobilized. His mouth hung open, and he was unable to even turn to face Vala again. Before he could muster a reaction, though, a shrill alarm rang through the ship, accompanied by a strobe of red lights. Alek, loosed from his bonds by Sam and Teal'c, sprang from the bed, racing out into the hall.

"Proximity alert," he said, momentarily heedless of his state of dress as he rushed for the cockpit. "We were followed."

"How?" Danira cried, glaring accusingly at Vala.

"Well, I had nothing to do with it," she insisted as the first weapons blast rocked the ship. "Really."

"Ba'al and Brannen must've escaped the guards," Alek said briskly, fingers moving rapidly over the ship's controls as the others followed him out of the corridor.

"Or you told your pals from the Lucian Alliance what was goin' down so they could pick us off as soon as you had the dough," Cam suggested with a glare.

"If I'd done that, why would they be shooting at my ship?" Alek pointed out without turning. "Look, I've got no love for the Goa'uld or the Tok'ra, but helping wipe out an entire species just isn't something I think I can stomach…" Another blast struck, shaking loose paneling overhead, and he slammed a fist down on the console in frustration. "Shields and weapons are at 30 percent. Sublight engines are completely down…we can't lift off."

"I'll see if I can get them back up," Vala said, quickly heading that way.

"Uh, just a second…" Daniel called after her.

"Sam can go," Cam interjected.

"Vala's the only one besides me who's even familiar with the ship's systems," Alek grit his teeth. A moment later, another red light flared on the console in front of him. He spun around just as Vala reached the engine compartment, and shouted, "Don't!"

Daniel raced after her, conscious even as he did that there was no way he could reach her in time. He leapt anyway, making a frantic grab for her as the fire blasted through the doors. Vala was thrown back toward him, and he instinctively tightened his arms. The force of the explosion carried them both to the ground, and in the instant before he blacked out, he felt her head strike his.

------

Daniel sat numbly on the edge of the bed in the infirmary. As he waited for Dr. Lam to finish examining Vala, he as aware that a million things should have been running through his mind. But there was still only one. One image. Her battered body across from him, attached to an array of machinery and still almost completely unresponsive after two weeks.

"She does at least appear to recognize your voice, DanielJackson," Teal'c observed with a troubled expression.

Daniel barely heard the comment and made no reply. His hands drifted upward, slipping over his face and into his hair. Sam, across the room, slid down from the counter where she had been waiting with Jack and walked over to lay a hand on his shoulder.

"Is there anything we can…?"

"No," Daniel looked up quickly. A brief smile flickered over his lips, obviously forced. "Thanks, Sam, no." He rose from the bed then, ducking his head to stare down at the floor, but neither that nor the tears that suddenly blurred his eyes blocked out the memory.

"Teal'c's right," Carolyn said, turning toward him as she slipped her pen light back into her pocket. "She does seem to be responding consistently to your voice and your name now. And the baby's been stabilized, so that's a positive. Other than that, I'm not seeing much change. I'm sorry, Daniel."

"You…mentioned the possibility of memory loss," Daniel forced himself to look up again, jaw clenching tightly on the words.

"At this point, I don't think we're talking about the possibility of memory loss. With the extent of Vala's injuries and the length of the coma, we'd do better to think in terms of how much loss of memory there's likely to be."

Unable to speak, Daniel looked back at the doctor for a long moment, and finally nodded. Before he managed to say anything though, the PA blared an alarm and Walter's voice announced an unscheduled offworld activation. "That'll be the Tok'ra," Daniel grimaced.

"I'll stay with her," Jack offered. "Landry's gonna need you to help with damage control."

"I fail to see why they're so upset," Meagain remarked. "They got their poison back, no harm done."

"Just--" Daniel's hand flew up in a cut-off gesture and his teeth clacked shut hard. He glared for a long moment at Vala's sisters, then whirled to stalk from infirmary.

------

"Jacob!" Landry said, standing as the Tok'ra entered the briefing room. "Glad to see that you, Martouf, and Jade are all right."

Jacob smiled slightly, offering a polite nod as he sat down. Jade, however, grit her teeth, and only Martouf's restraining hand on her arm kept her from making the caustic remark she obviously wanted to.

"Let me be the first to apologize for Vala's actions," the general continued. "I can assure you, they were not endorsed by Stargate Command. In fact, my superiors are considering serious sanctions once she's fully recovered."

"How is she doing?" Jacob asked, looking from Landry to Daniel with a concerned frown. "Last we heard, she hadn't regained consciousness."

"She still hasn't," Daniel replied, forcing his voice to remain even. "Thank you."

//"For the sake of our Alliance, General Landry,"// Simone spoke up suddenly. //"I sincerely hope that your superiors intend to honor our request."//

"Excuse me?" Daniel asked, turning quickly to look at her. The motion triggered a sudden headache and he winced, raising his hand to the bandage that still covered part of his forehead. "I'm¾I'm sorry. What request?"

"I hadn't had a chance to broach that subject with Dr. Jackson," Landry said, keeping his tone carefully casual while he looked from the Tok'ra to Daniel. "The Tok'ra Council has requested that we place permanent restrictions on Vala's…"

"On her…?" Daniel prompted.

"They want her confined to Stargate Command," Landry finished flatly.

"Um…no…" Daniel said slowly.

//"Excuse me, Dr. Jackson?"// Simone arched an eyebrow.

"I said no," Daniel repeated. "Look, I realize that what she did was absolutely unacceptable. There's no question that she needs to face disciplinary action. But Vala is a United States citizen, and our national constitution guarantees her certain rights."

//"That may be true,"// Simone replied//"But I would hope that your government would not value the…rights…guaranteed to someone admittedly guilty over your relations with one of Earth's closest allies."//

Daniel planted his arm on the table, fixing a hard look on the Tok'ra. "Let me be clear," he said calmly. "My wife is not going to be arbitrarily imprisoned. Not for the sake of relations with the Tok'ra or anything else."

Simone's eyes widened and she swallowed convulsively. //"Then I hope, Dr. Jackson, that you do not regret your adherence to that principle."// she said at last.

------

"Hey, listen," Jack cleared his throat uncomfortably from where he now sat beside Vala's bed. "You recognize Daniel's voice, so I'm guessing that means you can hear me even though you're not acting like it. So, while he's not around, there's some things you need to hear. First off. What you did back there with Brannen really took some guts. You saved his life…" he paused, looking hopefully at her face for any sign of a reaction. When there wasn't any, he sighed and admitted, "…and you woke me up some about what's going on between Carter and I. Yeah, I know, you two girls had this little heart to heart when you first got back. There was probably ice cream and toenail painting involved, right?"

On the other side of the bed, Meagain snorted in amusement, and Jack looked up at her. She bit her lip uncomfortably, knowing that the retired General was still by no means pleased with her and Danira's role in what had happened to Vala. She turned away again, and she glanced down, warm tears blurring her vision at the sight of her sister's motionless body.

"But then you go and pull this stunt with that Tarkin guy," Jack went on. "I'm not even gonna bother asking what you were thinking. I don't really want to know anyway. But I gotta tell you, Vala, you went way over the line this time. Daniel's probably in there with the Tok'ra defending you right now, but I don't know how many times you expect to be able to burn him. Anyway, bottom line is, you better just wake up, ok? He's gonna lose his mind if you don't, and this time I don't think he'd make it back."

Vala shifted slightly at that, her brow creasing painfully. Meagain's head shot up and she jumped, eyes darting to the monitors beside the bed, then back to Vala's face. Her hand tightened on her sister's fingers and she caught Jack's eyes again.

"Did you see that?" she asked in a half whisper.

"Yeah," he nodded, leaning closer to her and grabbing her other hand. "Vala? C'mon, now I know you heard me."

------

"I'm sorry about Meagain," Danira told Daniel softly, sliding into the chair opposite him.

"Are you?" he looked up sharply, then sighed, hugging his coffee cup. "Sorry," he mumbled. "That was rude, wasn't it?"

"Headache?" she asked, reaching to touch his hand.

He frowned in surprise but managed a nod. "I just spent the last two hours arguing with the Tok'ra over whether Vala should be confined to the SGC when she wakes up."

"And?" Danira asked. "Will she?"

"Of course not, Danira!" Daniel shook his head, then raised his hands to cover his face. "Not that I don't see their point. What the hell were you three thinking? And don't give me the 'bored' routine, okay?"

"Brannen told Vala that you were dead, Daniel," Danira said in the same quiet tone. "He lied, yes. You weren't. This time. But it made her start thinking. She has no means of providing for a child on this planet. All she wanted was a bit of security for the baby should anything happen to you."

"What?" Daniel's hands slapped down hard enough to sting, and he stared in utter disbelief. "How can she think I wouldn't make sure our baby would be taken care of?"

"It wasn't about you, Daniel," Danira sighed. "Without you on Earth, Vala wouldn't stay here long enough to sneeze. As far as she was concerned, she was meeting her parental responsibilities. Providing for her child in the best way she knew how."

"Lying to me? Jeopardizing Earth's alliance with the Tok'ra?" Daniel cried. "Doesn't she trust me more than that?"

"The Tok'ra weren't supposed to be there," Danira said simply. "But while we're on the subject--how much trust did you display in her by not telling her where SG-1 was going?"

Daniel's mouth fell open. "That's…different," he asserted.

"How?" Danira raised an eyebrow.

-------

Teal'c watched in silence as Cam's fists drove again and again into the side of the punching bag. The gym was otherwise empty, and each impact echoed through the room, seeming abnormally loud to him, but apparently offering his young CO no satisfaction. He had no spotter and the bag swung back with each blow, precipitating an odd dance with its attacker.

"I believe you have killed it, ColonelMitchell," Teal'c said from the doorway.

"Yeah?" Cam's breath came short and he didn't turn to look at his teammate or even slow the rhythm of his hands. "Well, I guess I'm goin' for overkill today."

Teal'c didn't reply but walked inside and circled around to grab the punching bag, leaning his weight into it to steady it for the next series of blows. They came in rapid succession, hard enough that anyone but the Jaffa would have had a difficult time keeping the bag still. It was several more minutes before Cam finally collapsed against the other side of it in exhaustion.

"Is your anger directed at the Tok'ra or at ValaJackson?" Teal'c asked knowingly.

"Huh?" Cam panted. "Tell ya the truth, I ain't sure. I mean, hell, if the Tok'ra think we're just gonna lock her up, they got another thing comin. But, man…if she wasn't in the infirmary right now, I might go kill her myself an' beat Jackson to it."

"If so you would have to wait until I had finished with her," Teal'c replied.

------

"Coffee?" Martouf asked with a smile, sliding a Styrofoam cup across the table to Jade as he sat down.

"No, thank you," she said absently, not taking her eyes off the table at the far end of the room, where Daniel and Danira now appeared to be engaged in some heated debate. Jade could well imagine what the discussion was about.

"Are you sure?" Martouf asked, still smiling winningly at her.

"Simone is not in the mood, and I don't really like it," Jade replied, planting her chin in her hand.

"Jade," Martouf chided, following her gaze. "Brooding isn't going to change anything."

"So. She gets by with a reprimand and Simone and I are just supposed to accept that?" Jade demanded.

"General Landry promised that Vala would be dealt with appropriately," Martouf reminded her gently.

"And you believe him?" Jade's eyes flashed angrily.

"As a matter of fact, yes," Martouf replied, reaching out to stroke her face with his palm. "We have the poison back. Isn't that the most important thing?"

"And what happens to Simone and I now?" Jade asked. "We will not be given another undercover assignment after this fiasco. Not for a long time."

"I don't know," Martouf admitted quietly. "But I know that Lantash and I will be with you."

------

"Hey, Dad!" Sam called. Jacob was coming off the elevator from the detention block, and she jogged to catch up with him. He half turned and stretched out an arm, hugging her close for a minute, then continued toward the infirmary. "How'd it go?"

"Brannen's still being tight-lipped about what he'd planned for the poison," Jacob shook his head in frustration.

"Did you expect anything less?" Sam asked.

"Not really," he admitted. "I was just hoping that if he did volunteer some information, it would placate the Council over the Vala situation."

"Well," said Sam, "We do have Ba'al, which means he's effectively no longer a threat."

"Not quite," Jacob replied. "We understand how Brannen was able to attain whatever knowledge he used to blackmail Lutan and the other Lucian Alliance leaders…"

"Using Ba'al's memory device and the Asgard beaming technology that Ba'al stole from Anubis," Sam nodded. "So what's the problem?"

"Sam, we're not even sure that what we have now is the real Ba'al," Jacob said. "Nor do we know why he wants ties with the Lucian Alliance--"

He broke off midsentence, looking up as the PA activated again. "Dr. Jackson to the infirmary--Dr. Jackson and a security team to the infirmary immediately!"

-------

Daniel and Danira burst into the infirmary to find Vala backed against the wall and surrounded by base security, wielding an IV pole like a staff. Meagain and Jack were positioned on either side of her, but whenever either one moved, the pole swiped out at them. Sam, Jacob, and Carolyn stood a few feet back, nervously watching the scene, and Teal'c and Mitchell bustled in behind them a few moments later.

"Vala…?" Daniel called, slowly stepping toward her.

She turned toward his voice with wide, frightened eyes, but he saw recognition as well. She relaxed slightly, though she didn't drop her guard, looking nervously from him to Danira.

"Danira? Then that _is_ Meagain?"

"Of course it's Meagain, darling," her sister replied, taking another cautious step forward.

"Vala…just…put that down, okay?" Daniel suggested softly.

"Daniel, where am I? What happened to me?" she asked.

"You're in the infirmary at Stargate Command, Vala," Daniel said, reaching gradually for the IV pole. As his hand closed over it, he added, "It's…it's all right, you're safe. After the explosion, the Lucian Alliance assumed we were dead. Teal'c carried us both back through the Gate."

"Teal'c?" Vala frowned.

"You don't remember?" Daniel asked, struggling to keep his voice from breaking on the question.

She shook her head again, but did finally let him take the pole from her hands. The security team let out a collective sigh of relief, and Jack waved them back. "Daniel, what _happened_ to me?" Vala repeated, looking down at her pregnant belly and back up at him.

"Um…" Daniel drew a breath against the heavy weight that settled on his chest. "Okay. Vala, what's the last thing you do remember?"

"Why don't we sit down?" suggested Carolyn, gesturing toward the bed.

Vala frowned darkly at her, but Danira came closer, hooking an arm through hers and drawing Vala gently close to her. "It's all right, darling," she said as she guided Vala toward the bed. "She's the doctor."

Vala nodded, sagging a bit against Danira's chest, and let herself be led back to the bed. For a moment she actually looked relieved to be back in it, but no sooner had Danira helped her down onto the pillows than she bolted back up again. "Is someone going to tell me whose baby I'm carrying?"

"It's mine, Vala," Daniel forced a smile. Shoulders drooping, he walked over to the bed and perched on the edge beside her, slowly reaching to finger the luckflowers he'd replaced in her hair the morning before.

"Yours?" her eyes widened with surprise, but he felt slightly encouraged when she actually returned the smile.

"Mmm-hmm," he nodded. "You're my wife."

"Well," Vala said in a sultry tone. "There's a pleasant surprise."

------

After the third time she'd escaped from the infirmary, they'd decided it would be best to transfer her to one of their so-called VIP rooms. About the only improvement Vala could find was the quiet. The infirmary was always bustling with people, full of noisy machinery, and seemed as much to be a place where the members of Stargate Command gathered to discuss mission objectives and tactics as it was a place for convalescents to recover. Here at least, she could limit visitors to Daniel, Danira, and Meagain.

_Meagain_, she thought, covering her face with her hands. The girl was her sister; after talking to her, there could be no mistaking it…but a Meagain almost seven years older than Vala remembered. There were images; vague, fleeting impressions--and there was the disconcerting way her temperature rose whenever Daniel's hand strayed close enough to brush her skin--but her last clear memory was of a trade in stolen treasure on the far side of the sector, no more than a few months after her first encounter with the man to whom she was now apparently married.

She could hear his voice in the hall, talking softly with the guard, and she forced her head up even before he knocked. When he did, she smoothed a hand through her hair and firmly fixed a smile on her face. "Come in, Daniel," she called, clearing her throat.

"Hi," he slipped inside with a nervous smile, leaning his back against the door to close it.

"Hi," she nodded back, frowning curiously at the battered cardboard box he was carrying under his arm.

"I, um," he started to say. "Dr. Lam said it might help you recover your memory if you had some familiar things, so…I brought a few things…pictures, knickknacks…"

"Wedding photos?" Vala swallowed nervously.

"Oh, no," Daniel shook his head. "I thought those might…be a little overwhelming right now. For both of us. These are just snapshots. Mostly from a little trip we took last year."

"Ah," she bit her lip and nodded stiffly, feeling oddly disappointed.

"Vala, would you…like to see the wedding pictures?" Daniel asked as he moved inside to sit gingerly on the bed beside her.

"I think I would," she nodded.

"Okay," he smiled again, more naturally this time. "I'll bring them tomorrow, then."

"Tomorrow?" Vala tilted her head coyly. "Daniel, don't you ever…do…whatever it is people are supposed to do around here?"

"What do you mean?" Daniel asked thoughtfully.

"It has been over a week since I woke up," she reminded him. "Apparently before that I was in a coma for two weeks. Now I know for a fact that you've hardly left me this week; Danira and Meagain tell me that once you were recovered yourself, you might as well still have been a patient in the infirmary. Not, of course, that I'm complaining," she added, trailing her finger lightly over the buttons of his shirt.

"I requested leave," Daniel replied, smoothly catching the hand and removing it from his chest. "I don't have to go anywhere until you're better."

"Oh," Vala forced a grin.

Not fooled, Daniel frowned and looked down at the lid of the shoebox in his lap. "Unless you want me to."

"No," she shook her head, surprising herself with how instantaneous the reaction was. He looked up again, startled, and gave her a hopeful look.

"You sure?"

"It's…not that I don't want you here, Daniel," she said. "But you must understand how difficult all this is to accept. The last time we met--well--the last time I remember--as much as we both know you wanted me--well--why don't we just say that things didn't work out?"

"Yes, why don 't we?" Daniel rolled his eyes.

"And now we're married?" Vala raised her eyebrows. "It's just a _teensy_ bit of a stretch for me."

"I know that, Vala," he nodded with a sincerity that disarmed her. She opened her mouth, but no sound came out, and she quickly closed it again. Having expected a quip about her playing with his shirt buttons a few minutes ago, she felt suddenly unsure of herself and glanced toward the box in an effort to regain her composure.

"So…where was this holiday we went on?" she wanted to know.

"We rented a beach house ," Daniel replied, opening the box with careful fingers. "We'd been stuck here in the mountain under quarantine for weeks and as soon as it lifted, you dragged me off. Said you couldn't stand another minute."

"Could you blame me?" Vala asked as she peered inside, reaching hesitantly for the first plastic coated orange envelope of pictures.

"Not really," Daniel admitted, eliciting a momentary smile.

Vala bit her lip, forehead creasing in concentration as she studied each image--each frame of a life that both he and Danira asserted was very much hers. She had wanted it enough, it seemed, to face down Brannen Daegar for it--for him. She glanced toward him once, curiously, out of the corner of her eye, but had the uncomfortable feeling he knew and hurriedly focused her attention back on the photo in her hand.

It was taken at a bizarre angle, very close to their ridiculously grinning faces, and there were several more like it--as if they'd taken turns holding the camera. She actually laughed a little at the sight of them both sticking their tongues out in one shot, and was about to ask him teasingly how long she'd had to coax him into that when the baby delivered a kick hard enough to make her lose her grip on the pictures.

"Hey, you okay?" Daniel asked as they fluttered to the floor, his arm sliding instinctively around her.

"Mmm," Vala assured him, nodding. "Baby's kicking."

"Really?" he grinned so delightedly that she couldn't help but guide his hand to her stomach.

As if in response, the baby kicked again. Daniel's eyes widened with wonder so complete that she almost laughed again. She covered it instead with a carefully flippant remark. "She must take after her mother."

"What makes you so sure he's a girl?" Daniel teased automatically, then winced as she suddenly froze. The smile faded, and she rapidly withdrew the hand covering his.

"Do we know?" she asked, forcing a casual tone that seemed brittle enough to shatter.

"No," he shook his head. "You didn't want to. Said it didn't matter."

"I said that?" she asked in surprise.

"We've…been trying for this baby for a long time," Daniel lowered his eyes to the scattered images on the floor, reluctantly letting his hand slip away.

Vala looked down as well, nodding silently. Near her foot, she noticed one of the shots she hadn't seen yet. The two of them in swimsuits, ankle-deep in the surf. Daniel's arms were wrapped tightly around her, her own arms wound around his neck. She blinked against the sudden glistening of tears and cast about for something else to look at. The only thing her eyes would settle on, though, was a similar picture which must have been snapped a few seconds later, in which he was flailing for balance while she pulled him into the sand.

"This must be very difficult for you," she said huskily.

Daniel turned her gently to face him, cupping her face in his hands. "Vala, I'm not the one who just had seven years of my life wiped out. And--and I know how much Qetesh and Brannen have already taken."

"Still," she pulled away, struggling to her feet. "You remember these things and you've lost your marriage."

"I haven't--" Daniel stared for a minute, then slowly got up as well. "Vala, please…"

"Daniel, I don't love you," she cut him off without turning. "I have no memory of loving you, and I won't pretend I do."

"I don't want you to pretend," Daniel shook his head, walking slowly toward her.

"I--think I need to be alone," she said, stiffening at the sound of his approach.

"All right," Daniel hung his head, slowly turning away. "I'm sorry, Vala."

------

He had no idea how long he'd been sitting in the Gateroom when Jack came clanking up the ramp. Daniel didn't move or look up, simply continued to stare down at the gleaming metal between his bent knees. Jack lowered himself down in front of the 'Gate and mimicked his position, waiting silently. For a while, Daniel hoped he would take the hint and leave, but in the end admitted that he should have known better. Holding back a sigh, he looked up at his friend, arching his eyebrows questioningly.

"What are you doing in here, Daniel?" Jack asked.

"She's gonna leave, Jack," he said quietly. "She'll go with her sisters, and I won't see her or the baby again."

"So," Jack pursed his lips thoughtfully. "What are you doing in here, Daniel?"

Daniel blinked in surprise, then frowned in response to the question. "I guess I don't know," he admitted.

"Well, the Tok'ra have been hot to leave for about an hour," Jack told him. "I dunno how much longer Landry can stall them."

Daniel tucked his chin to his chest, letting out a labored breath. "Right," he said finally, scrambling to his feet.

"You gonna be okay?" Jack asked, following him down onto the Gateroom floor.

"Not if she leaves," Daniel replied.

The Gateroom doors slid back then, admitting General Landry and the Tok'ra. Daniel looked uncomfortably at his shoes for a moment, then forced a smile at Simone. She nodded back stiffly and brushed past. He gave a quiet sigh. The Council had ordered her and Martouf to remain and report on what actions were taken against Vala, but when there had been no return of memory in a week, they had grudgingly agreed that punishing her would serve no useful purpose.

Landry paused, fingers tightening briefly on Daniel's shoulder before the general followed their guests. Jack and Daniel continued out into the hallway, where Daniel leaned his back against the wall, staring at the ceiling as they heard the Gate begin to spin inside.

Sam came sprinting around the corner then, slowed at the sight of them, and looked questioningly from one to the other. Finally, her eyes settled on Jack, who glanced at the Gateroom door.

"Martouf and Jade gone yet?" she asked. "I wanted to see them off."

"They're still inside, I think," Jack replied, and she slipped around them, letting her hand brush his arm as she went.

Daniel waited until the doors had closed behind her, then asked through clenched teeth, "You remember when we got married?"

"Yeah," Jack nodded.

"I told her we'd go wherever she wanted. Have whatever kind of life she wanted…as long as it didn't involve anything illegal anyway. She wanted to stay on Earth. She wanted--" his voice broke.

"She hasn't left yet," Jack said, his hand closing tightly on Daniel's arm.


	37. Healing Time

**  
**

Carolyn heard the footsteps but didn't look up. Someone plodded slowly toward her and stopped at the desk. A second later, her father's elbows plunked down on it, and she bit the inside of her cheek to stifle a laugh. His face was about an inch from hers when she looked up, his thick brows furrowed in mock-anger.

"I thought you were going mini-golfing tonight," he chided.

"Yeah," she pressed a hand to the back of her neck. "Decided it wasn't a good idea."

"Carolyn--"

"Dad, they're my patients. I watch them come back through the 'Gate with staff wounds, alien diseases, and God knows what else." She pushed back her chair and stood, taking the stack of forms she had been working to the filing cabinet.

"They go through the Gate together," he pointed out.

"They're also not medically responsible for each other," she replied, shrugging. "Look, let it go, okay?"

"All right," he sighed. "So, how's Vala doing?"

"Except for the memory loss, better than I'd expected after an accident like that. It's been a month since she came to. I really can't justify keeping her here much longer. The burns look good, and I don't need to have her here in order to monitor her recovery at this point. Physically, she's fine; there's no medical reason for her not to be released," Carolyn told him.

"What about the headaches she's having?" Landry asked. "I thought you said those were caused by a skull fracture."

"A hairline fracture, and that's healing too," she replied. "She's going to have a few headaches; I'm more concerned about the fact that Daniel's still having them, honestly. His CT scans don't show anything that should be causing that much discomfort."

"You're saying I need to order him to make that counseling appointment," Landry frowned, sliding onto the edge of the desk.

"Might help," Carolyn shrugged. "All I'm saying is that I can't find a physical explanation.

"Okay," he rubbed his chin thoughtfully. "Tell me something. In your professional opinion, given Vala's past, could her loss of memory pose a threat to her personal safety if she left Earth?"

"That's really stretching," Carolyn's eyebrows shot up.

"I asked you for a professional opinion, Doctor," Landry grinned.

"Well, technically yes, " Carolyn said, "but there's a really easy way to fix that."

"Oh?" he asked.

"We have a file on everything she's done since she showed up here, don't we?" Carolyn pointed out.

"Well sure," he nodded. "But we know Vala; there must be plenty of lies and half-truths buried in there. I'd hate to be responsible for her inadvertently coming into contact with someone who's still holding a grudge. I'll bet even Daniel doesn't know everything she'd need to know."

"Her sisters?" she asked pointedly.

"Aren't exactly known for giving reliable information," he winked.

She closed her eyes, giving her head a slight shake as he got up and started for the door. "Dad," she called when he reached it.

He turned back, still smiling. "Yeah?"

"If you thought you were fooling anyone before, you really won't be now," she said casually.

"Excuse me?"

"You've got a soft spot for her," she told him. "You have since the Beachhead."

"Well," his smile became slightly secretive. "Whether she meant to be so selfless or not, she did stop the Ori. And I guess I always figured that if Daniel could believe in her after everything she'd put him through, there had to be something there. But don't let it get around."

------

Sam had been standing utterly still for five minutes. Daniel watched, frowning, his hands shoved deeply into his pockets, and finally cleared his throat. The only reply he got, however, was a rather sharp

_"Shh!"_

Jack glanced at his watch, then looked pointedly at her. "Whaddaya doing?" he demanded.

"Lining…up…my shot," Sam replied slowly, still watching the tiny trap door open and close.

"C'mon, Sam, you been lining up that shot for five minutes," Cam prompted. "This is mini-golf, not wormhole physics."

"Perhaps this is not wormhole physics, ColonelMitchell, but the ball must still be struck at precisely the right interval," Teal'c spoke up.

"Thank you, Teal'c," Sam smiled.

"You are welcome, ColonelCarter," the Jaffa replied with a half bow.

"Fer cryin' out loud, you two!" Jack complained. "Can we finish this hole and go eat before the turn of the century?"

"No kidding," agreed Cam. "I'm in the mood for somethin' batter dipped and bad for you."

"Sounds fantastic," agreed Jack.

"How 'bout you, Jackson?" Cam asked, turning to Daniel.

"Actually," Daniel frowned, "if you guys don't mind, I think when we're done, I'm going to head back to the base."

"No, Daniel!" Sam protested disappointedly, the game now forgotten as she turned to look at him.

"What are you gonna do there?" Jack asked. "She already told you she doesn't wanna see you. You've been doing nothing but hiding in your office!"

"I'm not--" Daniel started to protest, then sighed and stared down at his feet. "Look, I understand what you guys were trying to do tonight, and I appreciate it, " he said when he looked up again. "I just feel like I should be…there…whether she wants to see me or not."

"All right," Jack raised his hands and let them slap down against his sides in defeat. "You win. We'll all go sit around the SGC."

"Can we at least pick up some French fries?" Cam asked. 

------

Vala folded her arms and angrily narrowed her eyes at the general. He looked back with an unconcerned smile, as if he had every right to require her to commit the contents his file folders to memory before she would be allowed to leave.

"Is this your idea or Daniel's?" she demanded.

"Daniel isn't even here tonight," Landry replied. "This is between you and me."

"I see," she glanced down for a moment and tried to ignore the sting she felt at the knowledge that he had, in fact, gone with his friends. She hadn't actually seen him since the day after he brought the vacation photos to her. Not, she admitted, because she really didn't want to, but because no matter how often she looked at them, no spark of familiarity came. He hadn't said anything about them when he arrived the day after that fiasco, and she knew instinctively that he wouldn't, but whenever his eyes strayed to the picture box beside her bed, she could feel the question hanging heavily between them.

Danira had relayed a message from him that his teammates were planning an evening out. He'd said emphatically that he wouldn't go unless it was all right with her, and she had replied that of course it was. How could she reasonably expect him to wait around when she'd made it clear that she wasn't going to see him? The fact that he'd actually gone, though, hurt her more than she cared to admit.

"So much for my constitutional rights," she muttered, having heard already about Daniel's recent argument with the Tok'ra on her behalf.

"Excuse me?" Landry raised his eyebrows.

"It was all well and good to tell the Tok'ra they couldn't demand my being held here," Vala glared. "But when I decide to leave with Danira and Meagain, you manufacture reasons to keep me against my will?"

"It might interest you to know," Landry said, stepping closer as he spoke, "that in the beginning of that little dispute with the Tok'ra, they had asked to have you taken before their Council for trial. Jacob Carter and I managed to convince them not to do that, but I imagine it wouldn't be hard to make them change their minds again."

"You wouldn't dare," Vala challenged, moving toward him as well, until they both halted nose to nose.

"Try me," the general replied.

------

The words began to run together again. Daniel blinked several times, shaking his head in an attempt to bring them back into focus, but it only stepped the throb in his forehead up another notch. His ears started to ring as well, and finally he let the book slip from his fingers. It landed with a loud thump on the desk, and he groaned in pain.

Vala found him a few minutes later, hunched over the desk with his face in his hands. She stopped short in the office door, eyes widening. "Daniel?" she asked hesitantly. "What's wrong?"

"My head hurts," he replied, so focused on the pain that it didn't even occur to him that she shouldn't have been there.

"So does mine," she replied, making her way slowly inside. She stopped behind his chair and smoothed her hand over his tense shoulders, then drew him back against her. One hand slid slowly up his neck, exerting careful pressure on the vertebrae while the other reached around to massage his forehead.

"I keep seeing the explosion," he confessed without opening his eyes. "It just plays itself over and over in my head. Vala, I can't help thinking that if I hadn't tried to grab you, this wouldn't be happening to us."

"From what I heard," she said, "if you hadn't grabbed me, Daniel, I would very likely be dead."

He allowed a slight nod and didn't say anything, letting her touch and closeness soothe the pain, until finally realization dawned and his hand shot up to pull hers away. His eyes flew open, and he twisted in the chair to glare up at her.

"What are you _doing_ in here?" he demanded.

"I missed you," she grinned back, and he tensed all over again.

"You did not!" he snapped.

"I did!" she insisted, now glaring herself. "How dare you presume to know whether or not I missed you! I haven't seen you in weeks--why shouldn't I miss you?"

"Right," Daniel rolled his eyes, barely restraining the urge to point out whose fault it was that she hadn't seen him in so long.

"Well, darling," Vala continued, trailing her finger playfully over his shoulders while she walked around to the side of the desk. "I've been thinking…"

"Oh?" Daniel arched an eyebrow.

"Yes," she nodded, her hand slipping lightly onto his cheek. "I've decided that I want to go home with you."

"You what?" Daniel's mouth went dry and he felt his stomach drop with the shock of her casual declaration. He couldn't quite keep the hope from his voice, and wasn't sure he wanted to.

"That's allowed, isn't it?" Vala frowned.

"Of--of course it is," Daniel stammered, gawking up at her. "I just--I thought--"

"Well," she smiled, tracing his lower lip gently with a fingertip, "Where would I be more likely to remember something?"

Daniel bobbed his head, forgetting for a moment to pull away from her teasing touch. "Sure. I'll clear it with Dr. Lam right now," he said, getting to his feet. He started toward the door and she caught his hand, her fingers tightening plaintively on his.

"I really would like to remember," she told him with a troubled frown.

"I know, Vala," Daniel assured her, squeezing her hand briefly before he turned to go. 

------

"So…no Goa'uld?" Vala asked, reaching awkwardly forward for a handful of popcorn.

"Well, there are a few still around," Daniel replied as he hooked a finger around the rim of the bowl. He pulled it closer, then lifted it from the table to hand it to her. "Ba'al…multiple Ba'al's actually…"

"Um. Multiple Ba'al's?" Vala repeated.

"Clones," Daniel explained.

"Oh…" she nodded with a doubtful expression. "Of course. Clones. What else would they be, right? That makes perfect sense."

Daniel smiled, reaching out to touch her cheek, but thought better of it and diverted his hand into the popcorn bowl. "The, um, Lucian Alliance is a group of mercenary types…smugglers, bounty hunters…"

"My kind of people," Vala winked.

"Right," he shook his head slightly. "Anyway, after the Goa'uld were defeated, they became a major power. You have several key contacts with them, but you've never been on good terms with the leadership."

"That doesn't surprise me," Vala commented, digging down deeper in the bowl now. Finding more dead kernels than actual popcorn, she cleared her throat. "Daniel, we're running out of popcorn."

"Yeah…" he let his voice trail off as he rose from the couch. He walked silently off into the kitchen, but as soon as he'd gotten through the door, he added, "…doesn't really surprise me either."

"What was that?" Vala called after him.

"Nothing," he replied, glancing curiously at the table where Nick and Meagain were working on a jigsaw puzzle. When he and Vala had left them earlier, they'd still been sorting pieces; now they already had about half of the border put together.

"So, tell me about the leadership that loves me so much," Vala said while he unwrapped another bag of popcorn and tossed it in the microwave.

"Well, it was originally a guy by the name of Lutan. Remember him?" Daniel asked. Meagain caught his eye warningly, and he bit his lip. He'd hoped not to have to discuss Brannen's whereabouts with Vala before she regained her memory, but there would be no avoiding it now.

"Oooh, boy, do I…" Vala replied. "Where is he now?"

"Well, we hadn't heard from him in about a year," Daniel replied. "No one was quite sure what had happened, since if he'd been killed, word would have gotten out rather quickly."

"Right," Vala replied. "But I'm assuming that since you said originally, a new leader did eventually emerge."

Daniel didn't reply until the noise of the popcorn had slowed enough that he knew it was done. Then he gingerly took the steaming bag out and walked toward the doorway, where he found Vala frowning intently at him from the couch. He wet his lips nervously but held her gaze. "Apparently, Brannen Daegar's been blackmailing most of the key players. He's gone now, too, though, thanks to you and Alek Tarkin."

"Gone…where?" Vala asked, narrowing her eyes.

"In the SGC for the moment," Daniel told her, crossing the room to sit beside her again. He dropped the popcorn on the coffee table in front of them and reached for her hand.

"He was downstairs in the holding area the whole time and you didn't tell me?" she pulled back, but his hand closed determinedly on her wrist.

"He was part of the deal we made with Tarkin when he sold the symbiote poison back to the Tok'ra," he said calmly. "Vala, listen…"

_The bracelet slapped down onto Daniel's wrist, locking in place, and he looked up, wide-eyed._

"Ow," he complained. "What are you doing?"

He tried to pull the bracelet off, but of course it wouldn't come. Vala hid a smirk of satisfaction as he called for security. The airmen aimed their weapons at her and he continued, "Ok. That was fun. Now take it off."

"Not until we find the treasure," Vala replied.

"What?" Daniel demanded.

"These bracelets," Vala explained as the second one locked onto her own wrist, "link us together. The tablet is mine, and I want my fair share of what it leads to…

"Vala, you all right?" Daniel frowned worriedly, peering into her suddenly vacant eyes. "Hey…"

"Bracelets?" she asked shakily. "Goa'uld bracelets?"

"Kor Mac," Daniel nodded slowly, his fingers rising to her cheek. "What about them?"

Vala frowned in concentration, and she tensed visibly, struggling to hold the fading images. "I--put them on you?" she asked doubtfully, falling back against the couch in frustration. "It's all just there…just images…no connection."

"It's okay," Daniel assured her, reaching to take both hands in his. "It was like that for me after I Descended--"

"After you what?" her eyes widened.

"Long story," Daniel shook his head. "It's not really important right now. I lost my memory too once. "

"You got it back," Vala said, only half a question.

"Eventually, yes. My friends helped me…my family," he replied softly.

Vala smiled wanly at that and pulled her hand free to touch his cheek. A moment later, she pushed herself to her feet. "I'm going to find Danira if you don't mind," she said.

"Sure," Daniel sighed disappointedly. "I'll just…stay here with the popcorn."

------

Sam shivered, lightly rubbing her arms with her flattened palms. She leaned against the side of the porch railing, silently watching the oncoming thunderstorm. A bluish-purple streak of lightning flashed toward the ground, followed by the crash of thunder, and she felt the hairs on the back of her neck rise in anticipation.

"When are we going to go on a real date?" Jack asked ironically behind her.

Her mouth moved upward in a smile, but she didn't turn around yet. "You want to go have a picnic in a thunderstorm?" she asked jokingly.

"Nah, guess not," he agreed. "But y'know, sitting around on the porch doing crossword puzzles isn't exactly my idea of a romantic alternative."

"Yeah," she grinned, finally turning away from the storm. "So where were we?"

"Sixty-two across. Five letters. The clue is 'talent,'" Jack replied, tapping his pen lightly on the folded page of the puzzle book.

"Flair," Sam shrugged.

"Flare?" Jack raised an eyebrow. "How do you get flare?"

"Not flare, Jack," Sam laughed, automatically understanding the source of his confusion. "F-L-A-I-R. Flair. Like, a flair for the dramatic."

"Oh, right. Flair," Jack nodded. "Isn't that what I said?"

Sam laughed again, pushing herself away from the porch railing. She walked back over to him and took his face in her hands, grinning widely as she kissed him.

"Hey, now, that's much more like it," Jack said. Sam's expression turned suddenly pensive, and he sighed loudly. "Sam, it's not wrong for us to have lives separate from Daniel and Vala."

"I know," she nodded, pulling back, "but I wouldn't even be here today if he wasn't on leave…"

"So?" Jack asked pointedly.

"Come on, Jack," she protested.

"Why did we drag Daniel out mini-golfing the other night?" he asked, arching an eyebrow.

"Because it's not healthy for him to spend every minute focused on what's going on with Vala…" she broke off, sighing herself. "Okay. I see the point."

------

He'd avoided the bedroom for as long as he could, but when he stepped out of the bathroom after his shower, he could see the light on up the hall. Briefly rubbing his forehead, Daniel sighed and tied his robe, then started toward the room.

Vala was standing on her side of the bed, examining the bracelet and earrings she'd left on the nightstand. She turned at the sound of his approach, smiling suggestively, "So this is the bedroom."

"Yep," Daniel leaned on the doorframe, running his fingers through his wet hair. "Bedroom."

"And here's the bed," her smile widened into a grin.

Daniel rolled his eyes, maintaining a carefully unimpressed expression. "There it is."

Still grinning, Vala walked over to it and sat down. "What are you doing standing out there, darling?" she asked, tilting her head.

Daniel sighed heavily and looked at the ground, moving reluctantly into the room. When he looked up, however, Vala's playful demeanor had evaporated, her eyes fixed steadily on the line of jagged scar tissue that was visible through the opening in his bathrobe…

_"How bad is it?" Jack asked quietly._

"Bad," Vala replied, her voice cracking as Daniel's eyes slid open. He smiled a little, but whatever he would have said was lost in a gurgling cough that brought tears to her eyes as she moved to support his head.

"Simone's done just about all she can with the hand device, Sir," Sam spoke up quietly. "If we don't get Daniel to a doctor soon…"

Vala drew a breath and sat back, reluctantly letting her fingers trail off Daniel's cheeks. One hand drifted to his arm, and slowly traced its way down to his hand as she stood up. Their fingers clasped briefly and she turned to face Brannen, who still stood at the cell door.

"Let them take him to the Stargate," she said stiffly.

"Why would I do that?" Brannen smiled. "I think it would be so much more meaningful for you to watch him die."

"If he dies, I guarantee you, man, you won't be far behind," Cam spoke up.

"Shut up, Mitchell," Vala sighed. "You'll do it because it's the only way you'll ever be sure I'll stay."

"Oh?" Brannen's eyebrow rose with sardonic interest.

Vala drew a heavy breath and reached slowly into the bodice of her dress to pull out the Kor Mac. Brannen's eyes widened with recognition, and Daniel let out a groan of protest.

"Don't…don't let her…" he managed, but by the time Jack had jumped back to his feet and moved to grab her wrist, the first bracelet clicked into place.

"Take him home, Jack," she said without looking back…

"Vala, it's okay," Daniel murmured, feeling himself go cold when he realized what she was looking at. Her eyes flooded with tears, but she didn't stop staring. He hurriedly closed the distance between them, cupping her face in his hands.

"He tried to kill you," she whispered. "You idiot, Daniel, he--"

"Didn't," Daniel said firmly, allowing a momentary smile at her remark.

"Why didn't you just tell him where I was?" she demanded.

"He already knew where you were," Daniel said softly. He pulled her gently to her feet and let his arms slip around her, cradling her head against his chest. "And even if he hadn't, Vala, I wouldn't have have told him."

For a moment, she actually stayed there, her cheek pressed against his beating heart. Then she looked slowly up at him, and as her lips moved toward his, Daniel's eyes slid closed. His hands slipped up to her shoulders as he felt her breath, and he whispered, "You don't have to do this."

"Do what, darling?" her lips curved in a smile against his mouth, and the last of his resistance broke.

Her lips were soft and slick and tasted of candy apples. The same lip gloss she'd worn that day on the beach, and before he could even wonder where she'd found it, they were there again, hot sun and cold surf beating over them where they lay in the wet sand.

"Don't," he forced out, barely managing to pull away again.

Vala's arms coiled around his neck, trying to coax him back toward her, and she looked invitingly up at him. "You don't want me, Daniel?"

He sighed and rested his forehead against hers, suddenly desperate for contact after so long. "I love you, Vala," he replied hoarsely.

"You have a strange way of showing it," she said, her fingers teasing his neck.

"Too much for this," he finished, gently but firmly disentangling himself from her arms.

"Where are you going?" she asked as he walked off.

"To sleep in the baby's room," he replied without turning.

"I should think my husband would want to share my bed," she said, and he winced at the genuine hurt in her tone.

"You don't have to seduce me," he said, turning to face her again. "You did that a long time ago."

Vala's eyes widened, and she didn't speak for a second. Then she smiled again, tilting her head. "I've no idea what you mean, darling," she smiled.

Daniel closed his eyes. "Vala, you're--you're my wife, not my property," he promised. "You can leave whenever you want."

"Not according to General Landry," she snapped without thinking, then let out a hiss when she realized what she'd said.

"What?" Daniel asked.

"Nothing," she replied quickly, turning away to avoid his searching look. He strode back to her, crossing the room with heavy, determined steps, and grasped her firmly by the shoulders.

"Tell me what's going on," he said, spinning her around.

------

"Okay," Sam said, frowning. She planted her chin in her hand and looked across the kitchen to where Jack was scrambling eggs for breakfast. "I'm stumped this time."

"What's the clue again?" Jack asked.

"Four letter word for 'bond'" she replied.

"Marriage," he said without hesitation.

"Four letters, Jack," Sam shook her head.

Jack smiled and turned to face her, reaching into the front pocket of his shirt. "Ring?" he suggested, pulling out the gold band with its gleaming diamond.

"Um…"

Sam sat stunned for a minute, feeling her face flush. Jack smiled again and walked over to the table. He looked down at her silently, his free hand moving to touch her cheek. Then he slowly went down on one knee.

"Marry me, Carter," he said with a wink.

"Is--that an order?" Sam managed, though her eyes were already filling up with tears.

"Does it have to be?" Jack asked, leaning forward to kiss her trembling lips.

"No," she whispered, shaking her head. "I mean, yes…I mean…"

-----

"General, do you have a minute?" Daniel asked as he stuck his head into Landry's office.

The general looked up, startled, but set down his pen. "Of course. I expected you'd be home with Vala all day," he added, frowning slightly. "How's it going?"

"Well, sir, that's…the thing," Daniel replied, stepping inside. He closed the door behind him and pressed his lips together pensively. Turning to face Landry again, he explained reluctantly, "Vala says that you…told her she wouldn't be allowed to leave earth until she'd memorized the contents of her personnel file to your satisfaction. Something about not wanting her to run afoul of anyone she'd offended, deceived or otherwise…bothered…since she's been here.

"Now, I know, it sounds ridiculous--and--and--and I'm certainly not implying that you would have done something like that. But, I guess I just have no idea why she'd make something like that up. And honestly, I usually know when she's not being…honest," he paused, raising his eyebrow at his own awkward wording, then shook his head. "Anyway, I'm sorry to bother you with it…"

Landry shook his head, holding up a hand for silence. "Daniel," he interrupted. "She's telling the truth."

Daniel blinked in surprise and his mouth dropped open. "I beg your pardon, sir?"

"I thought it might buy you more time," Landry sighed.

Daniel stood for a moment, unsure whether to be angry or grateful. "Well," he scratched his head. "Well, I, um…I appreciate that, sir. I do. But, if Vala's going to stay, it has to be because she wants to, not--not because someone threatened or manipulated her into it."

Landry said nothing for a moment. He opened his mouth and paused, eyeing Daniel as if to say that he might not get another chance. "Are you sure about that?" he asked.

"Yes, I am," Daniel nodded firmly.

Landry looked down at the desk again and nodded. "All right. The question is, what do we do about it now?"

"I think my wife deserves an apology, General," Daniel replied.

Landry's eyebrows rose. "You gotta be kidding me."

"No, sir, I'm not," Daniel said, reaching back to pull open the door. "She's right out here."

Landry got up slowly and walked to the door, peering out into the empty hall for a second. "Where?" he asked.


	38. Gone

**  
** Daniel felt his stomach drop as he realized she wasn't there, and frantically scanned the hall. "Brannen," he forced out through shaking lips, sprinting for the holding area. Landry dashed back into his office, slamming a hand down on the intercom. "Walter, I want a security detail to Daegar's cell--now--and keep it quiet!"

"Yessir," came Harriman's reply before Landry turned himself and ran after Daniel.

They found her standing just inside Brannen's cell with a p90 in hand. The door was open, and both guards on duty were now on the floor unconscious. Landry stooped to be sure the two men were still breathing while Daniel cautiously walked up beside her. Brannen watched the scene with a silent smirk, his expression full of contempt and boredom.

"Vala, you don't want to do this," Daniel said quietly.

"Why not?" she replied, glaring steadily at Brannen.

"Because he wins," Daniel told her. "You kill him like this and he wins."

"I've already won, haven't I, Vala?" Brannen smiled as the security detail that the general had ordered trooped in behind them. "Your life here is over whether I actually killed him or not."

"He has what he wanted," Vala nodded, gritting her teeth.

"All that's left now is revenge, Dr. Jackson. Can't you see that?" Brannen murmured in a chillingly pleasant tone. "For her father. Her brother. Herself. Then she can walk away from here, free of me, forever."

"No," Daniel shook his head. "I think Vala's stronger than that."

Her head whipped toward him in surprise, then snapped back around toward Brannen before he could move. Tears streamed her cheeks, but the rifle in her hands began to waver. Daniel stepped in quickly, one hand reaching for it while the other tightened on her shoulder.

"I'm here," he said firmly. "Nothing's over until you say it is."

"It's all gone, Daniel," she shook her head as the rifle slid from her hands. "How can I have a life I don't remember?"

An airman stepped up to take it, and Daniel pulled her against him, guiding her past security and back into the hall. "We'll get it back," he promised. "And if we can't, we'll build a new one."

------

"The Tok'ra owe you a debt of thanks, Captain Tarkin," Jade said, giving the mercenary a slightly hesitant smile.

"Just Alek, please," he replied. "And you don't owe me. The poison was just business. This…" he reached into a vest pocket to remove a clear plastic vial, which he placed in her hand. "We can call it a peace offering. I hope it'll settle any hard feelings between yourself and the Mal Dorans as well."

"The Mal Dorans?" Jade asked, frowning in confusion. "I didn't know they were involved."

"It was Vala who suggested that there might be enough of Egeria's genetic material left on Pangara in the first place," Alek explained. "And Danira who came along to help me acquire it."

"I see," Jade nodded. "Well, then yes. I certainly think that settles things--in fact, I'll have to thank them when Martouf and I return to Earth."

"Good, I'm glad," Alek smiled. "Now, if you'll excuse me, I have an appointment to keep. Don't worry, though. I'll be back before the action starts."

------

"Are you sure you want to stay, Vala?" Meagain frowned as she, Daniel, and her sisters strolled the secluded beach.

Vala smiled, sliding her arm around Daniel's back, and he quickly linked it with his own. "This is my life now," she nodded firmly. "I want it back."

"So," Daniel spoke up, glancing at his watch. "When is this ride of yours supposed to show up?"

"Any moment," Danira replied, turning toward the ocean, where the setting sun was spilling ribbons of red, gold, pink, and purple across the rippling water. As if on cue, the surface began to bubble, and the recently repaired _Seaflight_ rose out of the depths.

Daniel's eyes widened. "How did he…?"

Danira and Meagain only laughed, kissing his cheeks before they moved to embrace Vala. "Love you, darling," Danira said against her sister's ear. "We'll be back when the baby's born."

The three sisters clung for a long moment, then Meagain and Danira finally ran off toward the waiting ship. Daniel and Vala watched, waving, until the ramp retracted and Alek lifted off again. The ship shot upward, soon becoming nothing more than an early star on the horizon, and Daniel let out a sigh.

"Y'know, I can't believe they're really gone," he said.

"You're going to miss them, aren't you?" Vala tilted her head to look up at him.

"Well…"

"Well?" she repeated, reaching up to tap his nose affectionately.

"Maybe a little," he confessed. 


	39. This Earthly Life

**  
**She'd been restless for most of the day--uncomfortable and alternately complaining about swollen ankles, a backache, and how tired she felt. Compounding the problem, she couldn't sleep, and everything Daniel said seemed to spur either an irritable rejoinder or a bout of tears. 

Now he could hear her shifting around on the couch again, and she had just tried what he thought was the fourth position in the last ten minutes. She reached for the remote control and snapped on the television, only to turn it back off again with a sigh. The newspaper crinkled as Nick folded it over to look across at her, but Vala didn't say anything, and he went back to reading.

"You want a pillow for your back?" Daniel asked from behind the relative safety of his book.

"Oh, you mean you're actually paying attention?" she asked waspishly.

"Course I am," he flipped the page without looking up.

"You haven't said a word or even looked at me in the last half hour," she huffed.

Daniel closed his eyes, pinched the bridge of his nose, and set down the book. "Vala, I thought you said I was hovering."

"There's a difference between 'not hovering' and 'completely ignoring', Daniel," she told him.

"All right, then I'm sorry," he said, pushing his fingers wearily through his hair.

"No you're not!" Vala sniffled, eyes flooding with tears.

Daniel blinked in surprise. "What…?"

"You're just saying that to shut me up!" she declared hotly.

"Well--well--well, whaddaya want me to do?" Daniel stammered.

"I don't _know!_" Vala cried, tears streaming her face. She pushed herself to her feet and lumbered toward the stairs, leaving Daniel watching her with his chin in his hands.

"If I go after her, she'll say I'm clinging," he observed quietly.

"If you don't, she will say you don't care," Nick replied.

------

Teal'c's eyebrow rose as the elevator door opened. Inside of it, Cam stood with a box on either side and another, with the handles of several pots and pans sticking out the top, clutched against his chest. The Jaffa stepped quickly to one side, and Cam awkwardly nudged one of the boxes against the elevator door with his leg, then pushed the second out into the hall.

"Hey, you wanna give me a hand?" he asked.

Teal'c eyed him for a moment and then reached inside the elevator to hold the door.

"That wasn't _quite_ what I had in mind," Cam rolled his eyes.

"What manner of assistance do you require, ColonelMitchell?" Teal'c asked blandly.

Cam glared across the top of the box in his arms, then looked pointedly down at the one in front of the elevator door. "Pick up the box?"

Teal'c hid a smile behind a quick bow and bent to pick up the box. He shifted it easily onto his shoulder and took the second one from Cam, who then turned to pick the third one up off the floor. "Show off," he said good naturedly.

"Where are we taking your possessions?" Teal'c asked.

"Ah, my new quarters," Cam said casually, starting up the hall in that direction.

Teal'c's eyebrow rose again. "Why have you chosen to relinquish your apartment in favor of quarters within Cheyenne Mountain?"

"Well," Cam replied. "_Chosen_ ain't exactly the right word. My rent went up again. I decided to have a little talk with the landlady. She decided she didn't like what I had to say."

"I see," said Teal'c. "It is then most fortunate that you were able to acquire accommodations here on such short notice."

"You can say that again," agreed Cam.

"I have no desire to repeat my previous statement," Teal'c replied.

"No," Cam shook his head. "Forget it…hey! I got an idea! I bet you'd _love_ to stop livin' in this cramped old…"

"I would not," Teal'c interrupted.

"Aw, c'mon. I know you had a place once. Read the report," Cam told him as they reached the door.

"If you have read the report, then I believe you should be aware that my acquisition of an apartment off base was neither an enjoyable nor successful experience," Teal'c responded, watching with another hidden smile as Cam attempted to pull his key card out of his pocket without dropping the box in his arms.

"Y'know, you never really struck me as the kind to give up that easy," Cam said. He leaned against the wall and raised his leg to support the box on his thigh, grinning a little. "Think about it. You an' me being roomies? It'd be great! I mean, at the very least, we could split the rent…"

------

"So, have you decided which one you're going to ask?" Sam wanted to know as she reached to pull the passenger side door closed.

"Both?" Jack replied.

Sam leaned her head back on the seat, rolling her head to give him a fondly exasperated look. "Jack, you can't have two best men."

"I have two best friends," Jack replied, glancing behind him as he started to back the truck out of the driveway. "Why can't I have two best men?"

"Because you just can't…" Sam replied.

------

"Sorry we're late," Cam apologized as he and Teal'c followed Daniel around to the back yard. Sam and Jack had already been there for about half an hour, and Jack had commandeered the grill.

"ColonelMitchell was attempting to convince me to become his new roommate," Teal'c rumbled distastefully.

"That…that'd be…interesting," Daniel replied, wrinkling his brow at the idea.

"Yeah," Cam said, looking around in surprise. "Still workin' on that one. Where's the old lady, Jackson?"

"Upstairs," Daniel sighed, flopping into a chair at the deck table. "She says she doesn't feel well, but I think she's just upset."

"What did you do now, Daniel?" Jack called from the grill.

"Wish I could figure that out," he replied, shaking his head.

"Ah, it don't matter anyway," said Cam. "I'll tell ya how to fix it. Just go in the kitchen, fix her up the _weirdest_, grossest combination of food you can think of. Bring it up to her; you'll be the greatest husband ever walked the earth."

"That's ridiculous," Sam rolled her eyes.

"I dunno," Jack said thoughtfully. "Anticipating the food cravings ought to get him some points."

"It's not a _contest_, you guys," Sam sighed, pushing herself to her feet.

"Where you going?" Jack wanted to know.

"To talk to Vala," Sam replied, walking off into the house.

"Hmmm," Daniel frowned as she went. "What do you think, Nick?"

"Well," the old man smiled. "It did always work with your grandmother."

------

"Vala?" Sam called, tapping lightly on the door. She didn't really expect an answer, so when she got one, she smiled slightly, deciding to count it as a positive.

"Go away!" Vala yelled back.

"I just thought you might want to talk," Sam attempted.

"Well, I don't!" came the short reply.

"Okay," Sam said. "Well, before I go, I was wondering if I could borrow your black boots this weekend."

"What?!" Vala demanded. There was loud thump as her feet struck the floor, followed by heavily approaching footfalls. The door whipped open a moment later, revealing her blotchy, tear stained face and uncharacteristically messy hair. "All you want is to _borrow my boots?_"

"No," Sam smiled again. "But it got you to open the door, didn't it?"

Vala stared in disbelief for a long moment, then finally stepped back, allowing Sam into the room. Sam's smile widened when she noticed Daniel's pillow lying in the middle of Vala's side of the bed, as if she'd been hugging it and forgotten to put it back before opening the door.

"What?" Vala asked, tucking a lock of hair behind her ear and carefully looking everywhere but the pillow.

"Nothing," Sam shook her head. She walked slowly inside and sat down on the foot of he bed, looking speculatively up at her friend. "This is usually when I ask if you need a hug."

Vala nodded slightly. She walked over to the closet, feigning interest in the outfits on her side, most of which would no longer fit. "Would I say yes?" she asked.

"Most of the time," Sam replied. "So, do you want to talk about what's bothering you?"

Vala shrugged, still poking idly through the clothes. "I just can't seem to get comfortable. It's rather like being trapped in one's own body," she said as her hand came to rest on something pink and sparkly. Curious, she pulled it out and found a pink tube top emblazoned with an upside down S surrounded by a diamond. Holding it up to Sam, she frowned, "Why do I have this? It's pink."

"I think you got it to annoy Daniel, actually," Sam explained.

"Well," said Vala, looking down at it with another frown, "that's as plausible a reason as I can think of…"

_"You know, Vala, this Superman obsession of yours is getting out of hand now," Daniel sighed._

_"Obsession?" she repeated, boosting herself onto the edge of his desk. "Last week you called it a phase."_

_"That was before you bought that thing," he twisted his pen to indicate the pink tube top, then turned back to the notes he'd been trying to write for the last hour._

_"You love it, darling, you know you do," she told him, stretching out on the desk to afford him a better view._

_Daniel's eyes flicked unwillingly to the exposed cleavage, then back to her face. "Do you mind?" he asked. "Landry wants this done today."_

_"I don't mind at all," she grinned, not moving._

_"So move," Daniel said, closing his eyes briefly._

_"But I haven't even shown you the matching panties yet," Vala winked._

_His Adam's apple bobbled convulsively, and this time his eyes stayed closed much longer, but he reached firmly for her shoulders and lifted her back into a sitting position._

_"You can show me later," he said._

_"Promise?" Vala asked, her hand moving to his cheek._

_"Yes," Daniel sighed, leaning down for her kiss._

"Vala, you ok?" Sam asked, starting off the bed again.

Vala looked up, momentarily confused., then quickly nodded. She raised a hand to the side of her head and moved dazedly away from the closet. "You know, I wish I could remember something meaningful," she said shakily.

Sam's arm slid comfortingly around her. "I thought you had been?" she asked.

"A few things. But most of what I remember at all seems so…inconsequential. I still feel as though I'm faking my way through."

"I wish I could say I understood," Sam nodded, biting her lip. "Honestly, I have no idea what you must be going through."

"Thanks anyway," Vala said with a half-smile.

"Is there anything I can do?" Sam asked. "Any…questions you have that maybe you didn't feel like you could ask Daniel?"

"I wouldn't even know where to start," Vala sighed, wondering vaguely why she felt compelled to share even that much with the other woman, why Sam's arm was still around her when she would normally have pulled away.

"Well," Sam said pensively as she led the way back to the bed. "There was something I wanted to ask you. Sort of a favor."

"Okay…" Vala prompted, looking a trifle wary as the two women lowered themselves onto the edge of the bed.

"You know Jack and I got engaged a few weeks ago," Sam began.

Vala nodded silently.

"Well, on Earth, it's customary for a woman's closest female friend to be what we call her maid of honor¾sort of lead the wedding party¾along with the groom's best man," Sam explained.

Vala pulled back, raising a hand to her chest in surprise. "Me?" she asked. "We're--we're that close?"

"We are now," Sam nodded. "We weren't always."

"Well--um," asked Vala. "You won't mind my asking exactly how that happened. Nothing personal, really. I just don't tend to have many close female friends."

"I don't either," Sam shook her head. "I guess it started when you crashed Daniel's car."

"I what?" Vala's eyes widened.

"It was pretty traumatic, yeah," Sam said. "You really could've been killed, and he was furious…"

_"I said obviously you don't care," Vala shouted back. "Oh…my wife could've been killed? Well, gee. Let's not find out what happened. Let's just turn into a giant buffoon and scream and yell at her in front of everyone--let's not see if there might have possibly been a reason--"_

_"Oh, I'm sure you had a reason, Vala," Daniel raked a hand through his hair. "You always have a reason! What you don't have is--is--even the slightest sense of responsibility--or--or--respect for anyone or anything but yourself! You--_

_"Daniel," Sam's voice cut through his rage with cold command, followed a half second later by Mitchell, then and Teal'c._

_"Jackson…"_

_"DanielJackson."_

_His mouth snapped shut with a hard clack, and they stood glaring at one another until Mitchell's hand came down on Daniel's shoulder. "C'mon, Jackson," he said, shaking his head. "Let's just go get a beer." Teal'c's hand on his other arm made it more order than suggestion, and he shook his head in disgust, allowing his teammates to guide him out._

_Vala watched them go without a word, managed not to bite her lip until his back was turned, and then hurriedly went to gather her purse and the rest of her things from the chair beside the exam table. Sam looked on, her brow creased with compassion, and asked quietly, "You all right?"_

_"Never better," Vala lied, shaking her head. She didn't look up, though, and the purse slid from her hands. Lipstick, phone, perfume, scented body lotion, and a few things that Sam probably would rather not have seen clattering out onto the chair before they started rolling down to the floor._

_"I'll get it," Sam said, quickly moving to help. Tears came then, despite Vala's best effort to fight them off. She felt herself beginning to shake again as echoes of her husband's uncharacteristic cruelty flayed her battered self-esteem. Sam's arm slipped comfortingly around her shoulders, and she stiffened, but a moment later, let herself be drawn into the unexpected hug._

Vala drew a sharp breath, staring wordlessly at Sam, whose hand reached for her shoulder. She glanced down at it, then back at her friend, giving her head a slight toss. "I _cannot_ believe he yelled at me!" she exclaimed.

"Yeah," Sam laughed, the hand on Vala's shoulder now moving to her cheek. "But we got him back."

"We got him back _good!_" Vala grinned.

"You remember?" Sam asked, searching her friend's face carefully.

"I still owe you for that car, don't I?" Vala mused thoughtfully.

"You don't owe me a thing," Sam shook her head, pulling her into a tight hug.

Vala returned the embrace just as hard, then suddenly winced. "Oooh!" she exclaimed, her hand darting to her stomach as she pulled back.

"What's wrong?" Sam asked, tensing nervously. "The baby?"

"No," Vala shook her head. "I've suddenly realized I'm famished!"

"Jack's grilling the steaks now," Sam told her laughing.

"Steak?" Vala frowned, getting to her feet. "Oh, no. I want pickles."

"Pickles?" Sam repeated as she got up and followed Vala to the door.

"Pickles and peanut butter," Vala muttered half to herself. "On rye bread."

"Sounds delicious," Sam wrinkled her nose.

Vala only grinned, leading the way into the hall, where they discovered Daniel coming off the stairs, plate in hand. Spotting them, he paused in surprise and wet his lips. He walked slowly over to them, ignoring Sam's knowing expression.

"I…thought you might be a little hungry," he cleared his throat.

"You did?" Vala's brow creased with a sudden wave of regret for the way she'd treated him.

"Why don't you see what he brought?" Sam scoffed, pointedly ignoring Daniel's glare.

Vala looked askance at her friend, then carefully peeled back the slightly soggy slice of rye bread. "Pickles and peanut butter!" she exclaimed, her eyes flooding with fresh tears.

Daniel's jaw dropped. "What did I do now?" he cried.

"But--" Sam spluttered. "That's--"

"Nothing," Vala sniffed, looking up at him again. "Everything!"

"Huh?" Daniel asked.

Vala flung her arms around his neck, nearly smashing the sandwich against his chest in the process. Still slightly bewildered, Daniel managed to get the plate out from between them, holding his arm awkwardly to one side while Vala pulled his mouth to hers.

"That's--just--impossible!" Sam repeated, though she knew full well that neither of them heard a word. Shaking her head, she started down the stairs, hoping they'd find their way back outside before the party ended.


	40. Amongst The Stars

**  
** Danira turned to face Alek, planting her hands on the window sill behind her. The sight of him decked out in Jaffa armor was almost ludicrous, but she managed to avoid laughing. At least, that was, until he hefted the staff weapon, raised an eyebrow and asked,

"How does it look, DaniraMalDoran?"

"Absolutely ridiculous," Danira replied, covering her mouth with her hand in a poor attempt to conceal her laughter.

"Well," Alek smiled, "I suppose that's a bit better than 'totally unconvincing'."

Danira shook her head and walked slowly over to slip her arms around his neck. "You're really going to help the Tok'ra capture Ba'al's mothership," she said, half questioningly.

"They need it," Alek shrugged. The people of the planet Pangara had been more than willing to let the two of them collect DNA samples from the pod in which the Tok'ra queen Egeria had been found, but creating a clone from those samples was beyond their limited technological abilities. Under normal circumstances, it would even have been beyond the Tok'ra. However, with the cloning technology aboard Ba'al's mothership, the symbiotes just might be able to create a new progenitor for their dying race.

"Yes," Danira replied, leaning toward his lips. "But why are you helping them?"

"We owe them," Alek shrugged casually, letting her kiss him for a moment, then forcing himself to break away.

"No, we really don't," Danira shook her head. "The samples repaid any debt."

"Come on, Danira. How can you say that if they can't use the DNA?" Alek sighed.

"I heard Alek Tarkin was a mercenary to be reckoned with," Danira teased. "Turns out he's just a soft touch."

"Funny," he sighed.

"Are you sure this is going to work?" she asked, turning suddenly serious.

"That's got to be the tenth time you've asked," Alek said, tapping her chin lightly. The casual fling they'd had on Pangara seemed to have become more in the weeks since he'd escorted Danira and Meagain home from Earth. He couldn't say he minded; her worried look touched as much as surprised him, but he wished that she would honestly trust his judgment. "Look. All I've got to do is 'Gate aboard the mothership, plant the poison in the ventilation system and then release it. Once the Ba'al's are taken out, I'll drop out of hyperspace and let Jade and Martouf handle clean up.

"Oh, is that all," Danira scoffed.

"What could go wrong?" Alek winked. "I may even be able to get my hands on the specs for that Asgard beam. How much do you think that'd be worth?"

"I wouldn't know," she said, feigning disinterest.

"And I believe that about as far as I can throw a Yatarin bull," Alek shook his head. "I've got to go, Danira, before Ba'al moves that ship. It took Jacob this long to figure out where he was hiding it in the first place."

She nodded and stepped back, turning toward the window again. Alek watched her for a while, wondering what, if anything to say, but finally spun on his heel and started toward the door.

"Alek," she called as his armor clanked and creaked it's way out.

He stopped.

"Just don't vanish on me," she said.

"I won't," he promised.

------

Almost as soon as Alek stepped through the Gate, the door at the far end of the room slid open to reveal not one but two Ba'al's. He grabbed the zat off his belt and fired twice, then dove to avoid return fire. One of the clones was caught off guard and fell to the ground; the second jumped aside, and the blue bolt harmlessly skimmed past him.

"You're too late, Tarkin," the clone said, spinning to face Alek again. "We're about to leave orbit. We'll reach the Sol system in a matter of hours."

"That's nice," Alek replied, firing the zat casually into the clone's face. It crumpled to the ground and he sighed in relief, then dragged it by the leg over to the other one. "Sorry, guys," he said distastefully as he nudged one over the other and fired twice more. The clones disintegrated in a haze of blue, and Alek walked off into the hall.

"Wait…Sol system…that's bad. That's very bad." 


	41. Without

**  
**"That was Landry," Daniel said as he thumbed the _end_ button on his cell phone. Tapping the phone thoughtfully against his lips, he walked into the living room, where Vala rose slowly from the couch.

"Why do you look like that?" she asked.

Daniel flipped the phone closed and bit his lip in thought. "Brannen's being transferred."

"Why?" Her eyes widened, then narrowed furiously. "General Landry said he wouldn't allow the NID to take him!"

"Yeah," Daniel sighed. "Well, apparently, the President's backing them on this one. Landry's still trying to get him to reconsider, but as it stands, the rest of SG-1 is going along as part of the security escort tomorrow. If--if you want me to go too, I can."

"_I'm_ going." Vala told him flatly.

"Vala, you're nine months pregnant."

"I don't care," she insisted, shaking her head vehemently. "I'm going. From what you've told me, Ba'al still has his hands in the Trust. It's the perfect opportunity."

"I know that, Vala. I promise you, we won't let Brannen escape…"

"It has nothing to do with you or the SGC, Daniel. I don't even want to be on the same _planet_ with Brannen. If he's going to be here, I want to see for myself that he's safely locked away."

Daniel held her gaze for a long time, debating. If Daegar tried something, the last thing he wanted was his pregnant wife caught in the middle. She would be Brannen's primary target. However, he also knew better than to make that argument with her. Her answer, of course, would be, that if Brannen was secure, there was no risk to her; if he wasn't then she should be there to help. Insisting that her pregnancy would limit her mobility and make her a liability in combat might win him a _momentary_ victory, but he suspected that she would find a way to follow them tomorrow anyway.

"All right," he nodded finally, "I'll…call Mitchell now."

------

"He's not being belligerent enough," Vala said as Cam and Teal'c forced Brannen's head down into the van.

"What?!" Cam cried, finally managing to push the prisoner back against the bluish-gray leather seat.

"He should be making threats, not pretending to struggle," Vala insisted. Sam and Daniel each reached down from inside to help her up. "He knows full well he's not going to be able to physically resist Teal'c. He should be directing nasty little comments at me. Things like how he's going to have to cut the baby out for me."

"Maybe he knows if he says that, I'll shoot him," Cam said, gesturing Teal'c in after Brannen and then following himself.

Vala sat directly across from Brannen, p90 on her knees, with Sam and Daniel on either side. Her whole frame was tense with expectation of an escape, and Daniel slid an arm comfortingly around her. "Relax, baby," he murmured close to her ear.

"I'll relax when this is over," Vala replied grimly, watching as Teal'c carefully clambered past Brannen to sit on the far side of him.

"You won't have long to wait," Brannen taunted as Cam reached out again to slide the van door shut.

"What?" Daniel demanded, a chill of understanding running up his spine. Carefully, he moved his hand back from around Vala and withdrew the zat from his belt.

The van door slammed shut as the Asgard beam flashed. Daniel fired fruitlessly at Brannen's disappearing body, and Vala threw herself forward, vanishing with him just as Teal'c and Cam both made a grab for him.

"Damn it!" Cam swore violently, slamming a fist into the back of the now empty seat.

Daniel sat in shock, unmoving for several seconds. Then, slowly, the zat fell from his hand, clattering onto the floor.

------

"I am sorry, DanielJackson," Teal'c said as SG-1 neared the briefing room. "I should have anticipated such an attempt at escape."

"We all should have," Cam spoke up.

Daniel, walking between them, tried to speak and found he couldn't. _Someone did,_ he thought bitterly.

"The important thing now is getting Vala back," Sam spoke up as the team moved through the door.

"And you'll have some help with that," Landry announced. Jacob turned in his seat, then stood to greet the members of SG-1.

"Jade and Martouf are already en route to Earth in a mothership," he explained. "Alek Tarkin contacted them shortly after Ba'al dropped out of hyperspace. Unfortunately, as you know, by the time they'd contacted Stargate Command and that message was relayed to you, it was too late."

"What about the _Odyssey?_" Daniel spoke up.

"Still down for refit," Landry replied.

"NASA was able to track Ba'al until he entered hyperspace," Sam spoke up. "We have a projected course, but the planet we think he's heading for doesn't have a Stargate."

"So we're stuck waiting until Jade and Martouf get here," Daniel sighed.

"I'm afraid so, Daniel, I'm sorry," Jacob nodded.

He walked slowly over to the table and dropped into a chair, covering his face with his hands. "Okay, what exactly was Alek doing on Ba'al's mothership?"

---

"Ow," Vala groaned, struggling to sit up. It took several minutes of flailing before she was even able to get from her back to a sitting position, then from there to her knees, and finally, to her feet. Once she did, she still had to lean heavily against the wall for balance.

The cell door slid open and she tensed at the sight of the Jaffa. His hand moved to his lips in a gesture for silence and Vala blinked. Finally, though, recognition dawned and she smiled broadly. "Well, you certainly have a knack for showing up just at the right time."

"C'mon!" Alek urged, leaning inside. His hand tightened around her arm, and he yanked her out into the empty corridor. Several cells lined the walls on either side, with a sealed door at the end. Vala started toward it, but Alek yanked her back again.

"What?" Vala frowned.

"Up here," directed Alek, gazing up at the open ventilation shaft he'd just come through.

"Um," Vala followed his eyes with hers and bit her lip speculatively.

"The Stargate, the rings, and the Asgard beams are all being guarded. They expect your friends to try a rescue. I've only got about four more canisters of the symbiote poison to plant," Alek explained, holding up the remote that the Tok'ra had given him to release the gas. "Once I'm through, it'll flood the ship. That'll eliminate the clones and the Jaffa, and we can 'Gate out of here, but it won't work if Brannen comes down to check on you first!"

"Do you really think I'm going to leave without stopping Brannen--permanently?" Vala's eyes flashed.

"Yes," replied Alek sharply. "The Vala Mal Doran I remember didn't let her personal feelings get in the way of business."

"And what business would that be, Alek?" she demanded.

"At the moment, survival," Alek replied, waving his hand toward the vent opening. "Now get up there."

"Right," Vala said mockingly, "And you actually think I'm going to fit?"

"That could be a problem," Alek admitted, only seconds before the door at the end of the hall began to slide open.

------

"I'm going to drop out of hyperspace just beyond Ba'al's sensor range," Jacob related. "He'll be expecting some sort of rescue attempt, so we need to use extreme caution. You'll have to take a cloaked Al'kesh in close enough to ring aboard."

"Rings'll be guarded," Cam said automatically.

"By the time you're in position, Alek should have released the symbiote poison already. The Ba'al clones and the Jaffa should either be dead or too weakened to provide much resistance." Jacob said. "I don't want to risk having him discovered, though, so I can't break radio silence to let him know you're coming. You won't know for sure that he's through until you drop your cloak to ring over."

"Great…" Cam replied sardonically. "And if he's behind schedule and we ring into the middle of Ba'al's Jaffa guards?"

"Or if the controlled release mechanism fails and there are still pockets where the Goa'uld or the Jaffa can wait out the gas?" Sam piped up.

"Improvise," Jacob told them.

"_That's_ your plan?" Cam cried.

Jacob turned to look at him, eyebrow arching. "You got a better one?"

Cam paused, giving the Tok'ra a bewildered look, then turned to his teammates, who eyed each other uncertainly. Finally, he sighed. "At the moment, no."

Jacob smirked slightly and turned back to the view screen in front of him. "Leaving hyperspace now."

"All right, let's move out," Cam ordered, leading the rest of SG-1 off the Pel'tac. Jade and Martouf followed, jogging to catch up with them in the hall. As they did, Cam asked pointedly, "Ain't it a little dangerous for you two to be taggin' along this time?"

"We'll stay aboard the Al'kesh until the poison's been cleared," Jade replied.

"That's comforting," Cam replied ironically.

"Someone's gotta fly the ship," Daniel pointed out, though a bit reluctantly. Jade's hand reached hesitantly toward his arm, and he turned in surprise at the contact.

"Dr. Jackson, Simone and I would like to apologize for what happened the last time we were on Earth," she said, clearing her throat awkwardly.

"Thank you," Daniel smiled briefly. "And thank you for…trying…to warn us about Ba'al."

------

"If AlekTarkin as not completed his task, we will be detected as soon as the cloaking device is deactivated," Teal'c remarked, watching through the cockpit window as Jade maneuvered the Al'kesh toward Brannen's mothership.

"That's why Jade's gonna drop the cloak as soon as we're in the hallway," Cam said.

"WHAT?" Daniel and Sam both whirled on their CO.

"Would it not be better to wait until we are on the ring platform?" suggested Teal'c.

"Look, if Tarkin blew it, I wanna know," Cam replied. "By now, he's gotta at least have _some_ of the poison ready. With any luck, Ba'al will be too busy dealing with that to raise shields or fire on us before we can ring over."

"That's quite a gamble, Colonel Mitchell," Jade said uneasily.

"No more than expectin' us to ring in blind," Cam shrugged as he checked his p90 and motioned for the team to follow him to the rings. "If Tarkin's as good as you people seem to think he is, it shouldn't be a problem, right? 'Sides, if I know Vala, she'll be givin' Ba'al and Brannen just about all they can handle by now anyway."

"Good point," Sam admitted wryly.

"Indeed," agreed Teal'c, following her and Cam out.

"I still think it's a big risk," Martouf spoke up, his hand drifting absently to rest on Jade's shoulder.

"Yeah, he's kinda known for that," Daniel replied, then hurried after his teammates.

Almost as soon as they left the cockpit, Jade shouted an incoming fire warning. The ship rocked with the impact, lights flickering. "Looks like Tarkin blew it," Cam said, breaking into a run for the transport rings.

"So it would seem, ColonelMitchell," remarked Teal'c, his eyes shooting back toward Sam and Daniel with a distinct air of _I told you so._ A second blast hit as he rounded the corner. Cam stumbled forward, and Teal'c grabbed a fistful of vest to keep him from falling.

"Whoa!" Sam shouted as she and Daniel stopped short at the junction of the two corridors, barely avoiding a face-first collision with a force-field.

"Sam, what's this…?" Daniel asked, turning toward her.

"Looks like a fire-safety protocol," she said speculatively. "Internal sensors must have picked up an electrical fire somewhere and sections of the ship are being sealed off."

"Can you get it down?" he asked urgently.

She pressed her lips together in thought, then sighed. "Not from here I don't think. Sorry, Daniel."

His hands clenched into fists at his sides in frustration and he spun, barely restraining the urge to kick the wall in frustration. After a moment, he drew a breath and stared down at the floor, nodding acceptance.

"Sam, what's the hold up?" Cam's voice crackled over her radio.

"Cam, we've got a bit of a problem," she replied. "There's a force field cutting Daniel and I off from your position. You and Teal'c are going to have to ring out without us."

"That is _not_ in the plan," Cam complained.

"I'm sorry, Cam, there's nothing I can do. We'll follow you over as soon as I can get this deactivated."

"Understood," he sighed.

"Is it me or is it suddenly too quiet?" Daniel asked, looking up again.

"What do you mean?" Sam asked.

"Shouldn't Ba'al still be shooting at us?" he asked.

Startled, Sam turned, meeting his gaze with wide eyes. "You know, you're right," she nodded.

"I…think I'm going to head back to the cockpit and see what's going on," Daniel said, a sudden knot of dread tightening in his stomach. He hurried back through the hall, skidding to a halt again just within view of the window.

His breath caught in his throat, and the scream he felt never emerged. A huge gout of flame tore upward out of the mothership, and Daniel's hand grabbed weakly for the wall as the ship Vala was on began to plummet toward the planet below. 


	42. Who's Counting

**  
**

Alek's hand roughly shoved Vala back toward the cell and she stumbled into it, grabbing the wall to keep from falling. She heard the door slam shut behind her and could only hope that he made it back into the ventilation shaft before whoever was in the hall saw him.

She wasn't in the least surprised to see Brannen when the cell door re-opened a few moments later. He was flanked by a pair of real Jaffa, one of whom she recognized as having stunned her when she and Brannen were beamed aboard.

"That was very unsporting of you, you know," she said flippantly. "Zatting me before I even had a chance to get off the ground."

The Jaffa looked back at her stoically, and Brannen's brow furrowed in a thoughtful frown. "You know, you're right, Vala."

"Glad you think so," she said as he removed the zat from his belt. "Too bad you couldn't have said so before he shot me."

"Well, you know. Have to keep up appearances. Sadistic, evil Brannen and all that," Brannen's smile became slowly and distinctly predatory. "I've been wondering about something."

"What would that be?" Vala asked in a bored tone.

"One shot stuns," Brannen said, idly holding up the zat. "Two shots within a specific duration will kill. But what manner of effect do you suppose repeated stunning would have on an unborn child?"

Vala paled, her arms coming up instinctively to protect her womb. "No--Brannen--"

"Let's not find out," Alek said as he vaulted down behind Brannen. One arm coiled brutally around the other mercenary's throat while the second reached to pull the zat from Brannen's hand. The Jaffa spun to face him, but he stepped back, warning, "Move and I'll break his neck!"

"Kill him!" Brannen rasped, but Alek's arm tightened further, turning the order into an inarticulate gurgle.

"Don't try it," he warned the Jaffa pointedly. "Vala, let's go."

She nodded, swallowing convulsively with relief, and followed him out Almost as soon as they were in the hall, an alarm began to sound. Dragging Brannen along, Alek led the way toward the Gateroom, but the clanking of armor signaled the approach of another group of Jaffa from the opposite direction.

"What now?" Vala asked, her eyes darting around for another escape route.

"That's a good question," replied Alek.

"Great plan," Vala retorted, sighing. She darted across the corridor and led the way down another passage. "The hyperdrive's this way," she directed.

"What are we going to do in there?" demanded Alek, following.

"They won't come in after us," she said. "Not if we have Brannen _and_ could cripple the ship. You can get back into the ventilation system from there."

"Brilliant," Alek admitted, dragging Brannen up the hall and into the hyperdrive chamber behind her.

No sooner had the door slid closed behind them, though, when a staff blast struck it. Shoving Brannen forward, Alek dove for cover behind some equipment, at the same time bringing his zat up to stun the hostage. Brannen twisted, his foot connecting hard with the weapon to knock it out of Alek's hand. Vala scrambled to get it as the two men began to struggle. Before she could fire off a shot, though, she felt a sudden, inexplicable tightening in her stomach, and a trickle of fluid began to run down her legs.

_Oh, marvelous,_ she thought, rolling her eyes in annoyance as she stunned Brannen, _Now I'm wetting my pants!_

"Thanks," Alek said, his eyes flicking nervously to the door, which was beginning to glow with the heat of repeated staff blasts. "Uh…so much for them not following us in."

"Well," she shrugged, "Ba'al's Jaffa always were rather dense."

"Right," Alek smirked, peering at the upper walls for a vent shaft.

Vala turned to look as well, when the wet trickle she'd felt a moment before became a gush. Her mouth fell open and she stared in disbelief down at the puddle forming on the floor. "Alek…"

"What's the matter?" he peered over his shoulder.

"Now would be a good time to use that remote," she said urgently.

"I can't, there's still…" he started to say, then broke off as his gaze shifted to the floor. "Are you…?"

"If not, I--" Vala broke off, wincing as the first contraction came. "Does that answer your question?"

"You can't be in labor now!" Alek spun around, waving an arm to indicate the Jaffa about to break through the door.

"Well, I'm not exactly in control of that, am I?" Vala asked, clenching her teeth in pain. The orange-red flare of a staff blast finally cut its way through the door, impacting just as Alek's thumb jammed down on the remote…

------

As the rings moved down into the platform again and vanished, Teal'c and Cam opened fire, filling the room with the long familiar clatter of bullets against Jaffa armor. The guards returned fire and they dove off the platform to avoid the staff blasts. Suddenly, though, the wall vents flew open, releasing what had to be the symbiote poison as the Jaffa slowly began to stumble back and fall to the ground.

"Okay…looks like Tarkin didn't blow it after all," Cam observed, getting to his feet again.

"Indeed," agreed Teal'c, following his CO out into the hall.

They had just reached the end of the corridor when the explosion pitched them sideways. Bracing himself against the wall, Teal'c quickly reached to grab Cam by the back of the vest again. The ship shuddered, lights flickering, but Teal'c immediately pushed himself away from the wall, moving briskly into the next hall.

"We must reach the Pel'tac!" he said over his shoulder as the ship began to issue a loud groan and pitch toward the planet. "If the poison has been released there, no one will be in control of the ship."

"Go," Cam nodded, leaning on the wall with one arm and starting off in the opposite direction. "I'm gonna see if I can find Vala."

"Understood, ColonelMitchell," agreed Teal'c.

"Hey!" Cam called after him, and the Jaffa half turned, raising a questioning eyebrow. "I owe you one."

"I believe you now owe me _two,_" said Teal'c, hiding a smile as he started out again.

"Yeah, well…who's counting?"

------

"Jade, you have to get us down there," Sam said, her hand tightening on Daniel's shoulder as she came up behind him.

"I'm angling for entry now, Colonel Carter," the Tok'ra host replied quietly.

"Could they survive something like that?" Daniel asked, his voice barely more than a whisper.

"The--" Sam began hesitantly. "The mothership _did_ enter the atmosphere from orbit rather than moving toward the planet from outside the system. I don't think it will have gained enough momentum to necessarily kill them on impact."

Daniel nodded, allowing his eyes to slide closed with some measure of relief. There was little to say while Jade piloted the ship down, so they watched in tense silence as the mothership fell, struggled to right itself, wavered, and then finally gained a relatively steady course.

"Well, someone's alive," Sam remarked, finally letting out the breath she'd been holding.

"It looks as if it's headed for swampland," Martouf added softly, indicating the sensor pannel. "That will cushion the landing some."

"We'll have to get inside quickly and find the survivors," Sam nodded. "The weight of the ship may cause it to start sinking."

Jade nodded agreement, and silence resumed until she reached the surface. As soon as the ramp was down, the group shouldered weapons and moved rapidly for the hatch. Ducking outside, they were struck by an almost physical wall of heat but pushed through it, clanking down into the mud.

The flash of an Asgard beam was all the warning they had. The light cleared to reveal a trio of Ba'al clones, flanked by two Jaffa on either side. As the group raised their weapons, several staff blasts cut through the trees in front of them, one headed directly for Jade. Martouf sprang toward her, pushing her roughly down out of the way as the red-orange flare impacted his back.

"Martouf!" Jade screamed over the spray of bullets as Sam and Daniel fired on their attackers. Staying low, she scrambled through the mud toward him, gingerly turning him onto his side. "Martouf?" she asked fearfully.

Sam's head swiveled toward them briefly, but she quickly turned her attention back to the advancing Jaffa. The first fell quickly, and Daniel managed to cut down a second before the remaining two turned to usher the clones away through the trees. Sam followed while Daniel turned to check on Martouf.

He crouched carefully beside Jade, frowning in concern. Slowly, Martouf's forehead creased in pain, and the host's eyes half opened. "Lantash…Lantash says he can heal it. I'll be fine," Martouf assured them.

Daniel looked uncertainly toward Jade, whose eyes grew unfocused for a moment. "Simone agrees, though it will be some time," she told him as Sam came noisily back toward them.

"I managed to take out the Jaffa, but the clones got away. They'll no doubt be back," she reported.

"Will you be all right here?" Daniel asked Jade, his gaze turning worriedly toward the mothership. "I've got to get to Vala."

Jade nodded and he pushed himself up again, hurrying off toward the crashed ship. "Daniel!" Sam called after him. "Hey, wait up!"

------

"Tarkin," Cam called, the toe of his boot nudging the unconscious mercenary. Alek stirred slowly and squinted up at him, then immediately dragged himself up, scrubbing his face with his hands.

"Where's Vala?" he asked.

"You don't know?" Cam demanded.

Alek looked around in confusion. "We made it out of the hyperdrive chamber and around the corner just before the blast hit. "She's got to be here somewhere."

"Here," her familiar voice called as she came back around the corner, leaning heavily on the wall. Her face was dirt streaked, her hair out of place, and Cam's eyes quickly took in the spatters of blood on her clothing. "Went back in to make sure Brannen was dead."

"Right…" Cam said, taking a slow step toward her. "You all right?"

Vala started to nod but her features suddenly tightened into a grimace and she doubled over. "The contractions are getting worse--and coming closer," she gasped out.

"Uh…contractions?" Cam's eyes widened.

"You know," Vala gritted. "Those things women have while giving birth?"

"Yeah, I know what they are," Cam rolled his eyes, reaching to lift her arm around his shoulders. "C'mon, Teal'c's on the Pel'tac. Tarkin, grab her other side."

"Where's Daniel?" Vala panted as they started down the hall. "Is he with you?"

"He and Sam got stuck on the Al'kesh--" Cam started to explain, but he was cut off by Vala's shrill scream. "Vala, easy--breathe through it--"

"Breathe through it?" she repeated, clenching her teeth. "I'd like to know who wasted their time inventing lamaze anyway because it doesn't--work!" the final word was lost in another scream and she doubled over again.

Alek and Cam's eyes met over her head and both men nodded. "One--two--three!" Cam counted off, and they lifted the still struggling Vala off the ground and ran for the Pel'tac.

"Don't you touch me!" she screamed, swatting at their heads and shoulders. "A _man_ did this to me! You can't touch me--this is all YOUR fault! Put--me--down!"

"Calm down, would you!" Cam yelled, flinching as her hand smacked him in the side of the head. Instead, though, Vala began to kick out at them, her left foot connecting with Alek's shin.

"Ouch!" he stumbled, almost dropping her, but righted himself as she screamed with the agony of the next contraction.

Finally, they reached the Pel'tac, and Teal'c turned, hurrying over as Cam and Alek settled Vala, still writhing, on the floor. Cam slid off his vest and pillowed it under her head, and then got up and walked over to Teal'c.

"She's in labor," he winced as Vala let out another scream.

"So I see, ColonelMitchell," replied Teal'c calmly.

"Someone's gonna have to deliver the baby," Cam cleared his throat.

"Indeed," Teal'c agreed.

Cam cleared his throat again, motioning with his head toward Vala. Teal'c eyed him placidly, unmoving.

"Is anyone going to _help me?" _ Vala cried, panting heavily.

"Course we are," Cam assured her, then looked steadily at Teal'c. He repeated the motion of his head, and Teal'c's eyebrow rose pointedly. Finally, Cam groaned and ducked his head. "Aw, Jackson…" he sighed as he turned toward Vala, "you _so_ owe me."

------

Sam and Daniel cautiously made their way through the darkened corridors, moving quickly but carefully toward the Pel'tac. Fortunately, they hadn't seen any more live Jaffa or clones, but after three attempts, they still hadn't been able to reach Teal'c or Cam on the radio. Pausing at an intersection, Sam peered around the side and motioned an all clear.

"Try the radio again?" Daniel whispered.

Sam nodded and leaned back against the wall, unclipping the radio from her vest. Raising it to her lips, she keyed the mic and said softly, "This is Lieutenant Colonel Samantha Carter calling any surviving members of SG-1 aboard this ship. If you can hear me, please respond." She paused, looking nervously at Daniel as the silence crackled back at them. Then, she pressed the mic again. "Cam, Teal'c…? Please respond."

Finally, Cam's voice traveled back to them, almost frantic with relief. "Sam?????? Thank GOD!" he cried.

"Cam, what's the--" Sam began, but was cut off by an agonized scream that could only have been Vala.

Daniel's heart raced at the sound, his pulse hammering with both relief and a new fear. His hand snapped up, thumbing his own radio and he demanded urgently, "Mitchell, what's your position?"

"We're on the Pel'tac, Jackson," Cam replied. "And I think I see a head!

"A--wha…?" Daniel's mouth fell open.

"Daniel?" Vala's ragged voice pulled him rapidly out of his shock. "Mitchell, is that Daniel?"

"I'm--I'm here, Vala," he assured her, but whatever response she might have offered was drowned in another scream.

"You must push, ValaJackson," Teal'c urged. "Push hard!"

"I. AM. PUSHING!" Vala yelled back.

Daniel's eyes widened, and he looked worriedly at Sam. "Oh, boy," he said as he began to run for the Pel'tac . "This is…very bad."

------

_"Daniel!"_ Vala was screaming as he and Sam raced inside. "_I need--Daniel!_"

Teal'c was on the floor behind her, supporting her upper body against his chest while Cam and Alek attempted to deliver the baby, both looking slightly green. Daniel ran toward her, half sliding across the floor in his haste, and dropped to his knees beside Teal'c.

"I'm here," he said again, fumbling to pull a handkerchief from his pocket and gently mop her forehead. "I'm right here, Vala--"

The pain of the contraction was beginning to ease, and she leaned back against Teal'c, her bone-grinding grip on the Jaffa's fingers loosening a little. "Good," she panted as she rolled her head toward Daniel. "Because I'm going to _kill you!"_

"Huh?" Daniel blinked.

Sam shook her head, smirking as she knelt beside Alek. "Someone's going to need to go outside and help Jade," she told the mercenary quietly. "Martouf's been shot, and there are still three clones hiding in the swamp."

"Is Martouf all right?" Alek frowned.

"Lantash says he can heal it," Sam nodded, "but they shouldn't be alone out there."

"I'll go," Alek agreed, pushing himself to his feet. Commendably, Sam thought, he at least tried to hide his relief at an excuse to leave.

"Oh, God," Vala groaned as he went. "Here comes another one!"

"Vala, it's okay, you're doing great," Sam assured her. "Just one more big push and we'll have the head."

"_Head?" _ Vala repeated, her face bright red now and contorted with pain and effort. "That's all--ahhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh!"

"That's it, babe, push!" Daniel urged as Teal'c stiffened again from the pressure of Vala's grip on his hands. "Keep going--"

The rest of his encouragement was cut off by a rather shrill demand for him to shut up, followed by Cameron's shocked, "_Whoa, Mama!"_

"Yes," Vala rolled her eyes, collapsing back against Teal'c again for a moment's respite. "That would be me."

"You bet it is, lady!" Cam grinned. "We got a head down here!"

Vala laughed weakly, smiling up at Daniel, who bent to gently brush her lips. "You're doing so great," he murmured, stroking back the sweat-dampened hair from her face. Before she could reply, though, her back arched with the pain of the next contraction.

Daniel cupped her face in his hands, holding her gaze. "You're almost there, Vala! One more and Mitchell can get his hand in there…"

"Um…?" Cam's head shot up in alarm.

"As soon as Vala's got the shoulders out, you're going to have to reach in and help the baby out the rest of the way," Sam explained.

"I know how it works," Cam replied. "What I'm not following here is why it's gotta be me! Why can't Jackson get down here an' do it? He's the father!"

"Yes--yes, I am," Daniel nodded, starting to get up.

Vala's hand shot out, tightening on his, and she yanked up back to his knees. "Don't--even--think about it!" she said, gritting her teeth.

Cam let out a long sigh and hung his head again, but when the baby's shoulders appeared, he squinted one eye closed and reached to guide it the rest of the way. A few moments later, an angry cry announced the infant's displeasure at her strange new environment, and Vala collapsed on Teal'c's chest again in exhaustion.

"It's a girl!" Cam announced, trying to keep his grip on the squirming child while Sam carefully cut and tied off the umbilical cord.

"If her voice is to be any judge," Teal'c rumbled happily, "she will soon be as fine a warrior as her mother."

Vala turned slightly, smiling weak gratitude at the big Jaffa, who returned the look with a grave nod.

"A girl?" Daniel swallowed, his eyes wide with wonder at the thought. He grinned, leaning over to kiss Vala again. "Vala, we--we--we've got a daughter!"

She laughed tiredly, letting her fingers trail over his cheek. "I want to hold her, Daniel," she whispered as their lips met. He kissed her softly, then got to his feet, blinking back tears as he walked over to where Cam now stood cradling his newborn daughter.

"Vala, just give me one more push for the placenta," Sam urged. She cleared her throat and added, "One of you guys is going to have to take off your shirt. We need something to wrap her in to keep her warm, and Vala and I still have some work to do."

"Well, it ain't gonna be me," Cam announced, jiggling the still squalling infant in his arms. He glanced pointedly down at his filthy uniform, continuing, "It's _your _turn, Jackson."

Daniel's grin faltered slightly, but he nodded agreement, quickly sliding out of his vest and letting it drop to the floor. "I guess I owe you one…again," he said as he pulled the black t-shirt over his head as a final groan of effort from his wife signaled the end of the delivery.

"Yeah well," Cam shrugged as he awkwardly helped Daniel swaddle the baby, "Who's counting?"

Almost as soon as she heard Daniel's voice, the baby quieted, but she wasn't inclined to cooperate with having herself swathed in his shirt. Watching, Sam and Vala shared a look of fond exasperation at the two men's bumbling. Finally, a tiny foot waved out, catching Daniel unexpectedly in the nose.

He jerked back, more startled than hurt, and the women laughed. Daniel, gingerly rubbing his nose, looked from his daughter's innocent expression to his wife's rather devilish one and sighed. "Now I'm really in trouble."

"Indeed you are, DanielJackson," Teal'c agreed.

"You'll never know where the next kick's comin' from now," Cam laughed.

"At the moment, I'd be happy with getting this shirt around her," Daniel said, resisting the urge to grin stupidly down at his daughter.

"Daniel, you take her," Sam told him, shaking her head. "Let Cam put the shirt around her."

"Well, what good's that gonna do?" he frowned.

"She knows you, darling," Vala explained, her voice still tight with pain.

Daniel's frown deepened at that, though the idea sparked a warm feeling in his stomach that traveled upward, bringing a flush to his cheeks as Cam shifted the baby into his arms. He knew, of course, that a newborn recognized it's mother. He wasn't so sure she would recognize him. She certainly was no more interested in having Cam wrap her up than she had been when Daniel himself had tried it.

"Well, you--you just don't want my shirt on you, huh?" he smiled.

She gave a grunt in response, her head turning unerringly toward the sound of his voice, and Daniel felt fresh tears spring to his eyes. Cam suddenly had no problem getting her to accept the shirt--probably, Daniel realized, because it both smelled like him and retained some of the warmth of his body. His smile widened, and he looked nervously toward Vala again before fixing his gaze back on their child.

"She does know me!" he laughed.

"Well, whaddaya know about that?" grinned Cam.

"That's wonderful, darling," Vala spoke up, trying not to laugh. "Now, may I hold her, please?"

"Indeed, DanielJackson," Teal'c rumbled. "You are not required to hold the child forever."

"Oh!" Daniel looked up, startled. "Right, sorry, Vala."

"Right," she smiled indulgently, shooting Sam a knowing expression, but Daniel had already looked back down at the baby as he carried her over.

"You want to go see Mommy?" he was rambling happily, his initial nervousness now evaporating. "Let's go see Mommy!"

Vala and Sam immediately burst out laughing. Teal'c's eyebrow shot up in surprise and disbelief at his friend's sudden apparent loss of his senses, and Cam shook his head, running a hand over his face. "Jackson," he declared. "I think you just set fathers everywhere back about two centuries."

Pausing beside Vala, Daniel looked up again and frowned. "What?" he asked, looking from one to the next with a serious expression.

"Nothing, darling," Vala assured him.

"Forget it," Cam snickered.

"Never mind," Sam sighed.

"Indeed," nodded Teal'c.

Daniel shook his head, smiling at the baby. "Don't listen to them," he told her as he knelt beside Vala.

She smiled again, more gently this time, as their eyes met, and she reached for her daughter with shaking arms. Her heart, still only beginning to slow from the exertion of labor, now raced so fast she that she felt both exhilarated and dizzy. Daniel carefully laid the baby in her arms, and she felt warm tears spill down her cheeks at the immediate soft coos of recognition.

"Ohh!" Vala exclaimed softly, pressing her lips to the newborn's tender head. "Oh, hello, my little darling!"

The tiny mouth and tongue began to work in unmistakable suckling motions. She turned her head clearly toward Vala's breast, guided by the scent of her mother's milk. The next cry was louder, distinctly plaintive, and her parents laughed as their eyes met again.

"I believe she is hungry," observed Teal'c in surprise.

"Well," Vala sniffled, offering the baby a breast. "I'd be hungry too if I'd just gone through what she has. Oh, Daniel, isn't she simply marvelous!"

"She's amazing," Daniel agreed raggedly. He reached up to remove his glasses and stuffed them absently into his pants pocket before trying to wipe the tears from his face with the heels of his hands. "Y'know, we--we're gonna need a name for her…" he managed.

Vala, entranced with their daughter's nursing, took a while to register what he'd said. As Sam and Cameron walked slowly over to kneel on either side of her, she looked up, nodding agreement. They'd been compiling a list of potential names before her accident--none of which had particularly appealed to her in recent weeks…

"My--my grandmother started this list," Daniel told her with a hesitant smile as he opened the worn leather volume. There on the first page were names she didn't recognize, but which Daniel's expression said he obviously held in some esteem.

  


Nicholas Ballard to Amanda Fredericks

_"It's a record of all the important events in the family," he explained. "Marriages, births…deaths. See, there are my grandparents' names…" he paused, turning the page carefully. "My mom and dad…Sha're and I…"_

"You wrote this," Vala gently fingered the entry for himself and Sha're.

Daniel nodded. "I kept it up--after my mom died. But I think--I think my grandma always intended for the women in the family to keep the record."  


"So," Vala smiled up at him, suddenly shy, "it falls to me to keep it now?"

  


"If you'd like to do it," Daniel nodded again, clearly hopeful. "I think it would've made her--and--and my mom--very happy."

  


"Well," Vala swallowed, trying to quiet her rising emotions. "It does seem like quite a responsibility--this--Jackson family legacy of yours. But I think I can handle it."

  


"Good," Daniel smiled, leaning across the book to kiss her waiting lips.

"Amanda?" she asked now, offering him new smile. "Amanda Claire Jackson?"

Daniel's eyes widened in surprise. He nodded quickly, wondering why he hadn't thought to suggest those names himself. Leaning forward, he slipped an arm around Vala's shoulders, pressing his lips to her temple. "I love you," he whispered.

------

Alek moved cautiously away from the mothership, coming to a halt beside the depression in the mud that had to have been left by Martouf's body. The Tok'ra were nowhere in sight now, though, and he lowered himself toward the ground to study the area for a hint of the direction they'd gone. He'd only been there a few moments when the whine of the zat sounded behind him.

"It's me, Jade," he said, carefully raising his hands above his head in a show of surrender.

There was a slight sigh, and the weapon closed again. Jade slowly walked up beside him, and Alek got to his feet. "Looks like you missed a few," she said wryly.

"Yeah, sorry about that," he nodded. "Couldn't be avoided. Where's Martouf?"

"I brought him back inside the Al'kesh," she replied. "Jacob is on his way."

"I checked on the cloning equipment before I came out," Alek told her. "I'm no expert, but I think it's still functional."

"Good," she smiled. "There are still two clones around here somewhere. They should be taken care of first."

"Two?" he frowned. "Colonel Carter said there were three."

"Yes," Jade nodded. "There were."

"Ah," Alek grinned understanding. "Well, c'mon. I'll help you; SG-1 is likely to be detained a while longer."

------

"Oh, she's gonna hate this," Daniel pouted down at his daughter as they stood before the shimmering blue event horizon. She blinked innocently back at him, and he eyed the wormhole with a forlorn sigh.

"Well, there's no way round it, darling," Vala said, herself cradled in Teal'c's arms beside them. "Even if Jacob were here already, we can't take her all the way back to Earth by ship with only your shirt to keep her warm and dry."

"Yeah," Daniel sighed. "Dry's gonna be a problem soon, isn't it?"

"I would suggest we do not waste more time discussing the matter, DanielJackson," Teal'c advised.

"Just go fast," Cam told him. "By the time she realizes how cold she is, it'll be over."

"Well, mathematically, that really won't make much of a…" Sam paused, biting her upper lip at the worried looks she received from both parents. "Never mind, Daniel. Go fast."

"Right," he nodded, hugging the baby tight against his chest as he ran for the wormhole. Plunging through, he raced down the ramp to where Dr. Lam and General Landry were waiting to wrap them both with heated infirmary blankets.

It wasn't until the blanket was around her that Manda regained breath enough to scream, but once she did, Daniel wouldn't have been surprised if even Walter in the control room knew how furious his daughter was. The rest of the team had made it through by then, and Vala, though still too far away, reached instinctively for the baby.

"Aw, poor thing," Carolyn clucked as Daniel shivered out his own apologies and kissed the baby's head. "That was pretty awful, wasn't it? Daniel, why don't you hold her until we get down to the infirmary; she'll feel better with someone she knows until then."

"What? Wait," Vala protested. "Why can't I have her back once we're there?

"We have tests to run," Carolyn smiled reassuringly. "We just need to make sure she's all right…"

"Well, she's perfectly healthy!" Vala waved an arm toward the disconsolate child. "Listen to her scream!"

"It'll be all right, honey," Daniel promised, starting to follow Carolyn toward the doors.

"No, it won't!" Vala shook her head stubbornly. "Daniel, I want my baby!"

"She will not be harmed," Teal'c promised as he trooped into the hall after Daniel.

Sam jogged up beside them and quickly caught Vala's hand. "It's okay, Vala. We'll be right in the infirmary, and you'll be able to have her back as soon as Dr. Lam's done."

Vala bit her lip. "Sam, you don't think there's…something wrong with Manda?"

"It sure doesn't sound it," Sam shook her head. "But if there is, shouldn't we know now?"

Vala finally nodded agreement, but she didn't actually relax again, and it was quite clear she wouldn't until the baby was safely back in her arms.

"Well, now I've seen everything," General Landry commented as he walked along behind them.

"Naw, sir," Cam spoke up. "You ain't seen everything till you've delivered the baby."

------

"So far, all Manda's test results are showing well within normal parameters," Dr. Lam said as a nurse settled the baby back within her fretful mother's arms. "She is showing considerably more Naquada in her bloodstream than we'd expected…"

Vala and Daniel's heads shot up from their daughter to look nervously at the doctor. "Well…but that's all right, isn't it? It's not harmful?" Vala asked in confusion as Daniel's hand tightened on her shoulder.

"No, not as far as we've ever been able to determine, although I will be checking with the Tok'ra at this point," Carolyn promised. "All I think it means is that she'll probably develop a much finer control over Goa'uld technology than we'd thought."

"Which means we'll be hearing from Woolsey," Daniel ran his free hand tiredly over his face.

"Well, I don't intend for Manda to be anywhere _near_ Goa'uld technology!" Vala declared.

"Neither do I," Landry nodded emphatically. "In any case, now that we know she's all right, I want the rest of you to go and get something to eat."

"Yessir," Sam and Cameron both said as they got to their feet. They started for the door, waving at the new parents as they went. Teal'c, however, slowly crossed the room, his hands clasped behind his back, and looked down at the infant for a long moment. Vala thought she spotted a hint of a smile tugging at the Jaffa's lips, but he gravely bent his head, then turned on his heel and strode after his teammates.

As he turned, Manda began to cry. Teal'c paused, eyebrow rising. In the doorway, Cameron and Sam halted as well, turning back toward him.

"Maybe you scared her, big guy," Cam suggested.

"If the sight of you at the moment of her birth did not do so, ColonelMitchell, I do not believe that anything could," Teal'c replied smoothly.

"I think she's just hungry again," Vala smiled after them.

"Well, in that case, I'll be going too," Landry smiled. "Give the new family some privacy."

"Thank you, sir," Daniel said absently, most of his attention once again riveted on his daughter.

"Why don't you go with them, darling?" Vala suggested, slipping a hand briefly onto the side of his jaw. "You haven't eaten, either."

"I'll eat when you do," Daniel replied softly.

"Both of you need to eat and rest," Landry said on his way out. "Especially Vala. Keep your strength up. That's an order."

Vala, though, was more tired than hungry after the ordeal aboard the mothership. Soon after Manda was fed and changed, she drifted off to sleep cuddling the baby against her chest. Warm and full, and with the rhythm of her mother's heart to soothe her, Manda had no trouble falling asleep as well. Carolyn had slipped quietly back to her office by then, and Daniel didn't want to chance waking Vala by moving the baby.

Hunger had begun to gnaw at him by then, but he found he couldn't will himself to move. A deep, aching weariness was settling over him. Between it, his relief at finally having Vala back without the threat of Brannen Daegar looming nearby, and a new, incredible fascination with Manda, he would've been quite happy to sit watching them sleep for the remainder of the night. Jack found him there, half slumped in the chair beside Vala's bed, eyelids drooping heavily.

"Awwwwwwww," the retired General said sardonically, tilting his head against the doorframe.

Daniel jolted upright, frowning to focus his eyes, and quickly held a finger to his lips. His gaze flicked toward his sleeping family, though, and he couldn't resist a grin. "Come see my little girl, Jack," he invited, his voice near a whisper.

Jack's lips twitched upward as well, and he stepped inside, carefully holding one arm behind his back. Frowning again, Daniel tilted his head, but still couldn't see what his friend was hiding. "What's that…?" he asked slowly, getting to his feet.

"This?" Jack shrugged, his hand coming out from behind his back to reveal a bright yellow, plush giraffe with soft brown spots and huge, oversized felt eyes. It was tied with a red bow and had a small card attached, which Daniel flipped up to read, _Uncle Jack gave me this._

"A giraffe?" Daniel asked as he removed both the bow and card.

"You'd prefer a puppy?" Jack asked. "Don't lose those. She'll want them when she's older."

"Why would she want them?" he asked, though his lips quirked fondly at the memory of the dog Jack had once given Janet Fraiser's adopted daughter, Cassandra. "And no…no, I don't think we'd prefer a puppy."

"It's gonna her favorite toy," Jack said, leaning over to position the giraffe beside the baby, where it would either scare Vala or be the first thing Manda saw when she woke up. "She'll want to know who gave it to her."

Daniel's eyes slid slowly closed. "Right…" he said ironically.

Jack stepped back and stood with a finger on his chin, silently studying the baby for several minutes. Finally, his shoulders sagged and he gave a long sigh. Daniel's eyes widened.

"What?" he demanded.

"So," Jack shook his head sadly. "No Spacemonkey Junior jokes, huh? It just doesn't have the right ring with a girl."

"No…no, I don't think so," agreed Daniel.

"We could call her Monkey," Jack suggested.

"No…I…don't think so," Daniel said again.

"C'mon, Daniel!" Jack sighed. "Why not?"

"Why don't we call her Manda?" Daniel asked archly.

"I don't like it," replied Jack.

"I do," Daniel retorted.

Jack smirked and fell silent again, still watching Vala and Manda. Slowly, his countenance changed, growing distant and far away. A shadow fell over his features that few others would have recognized, and Daniel bit his lip to stifle a sad sigh. His hand slowly came up to rest on the other man's shoulder.

"You okay?" he asked quietly.

Jack turned, startled, and forced a smile. "Sam's…gonna want kids at some point," he shrugged.

"I don't think," Daniel bowed his head thoughtfully, and slowly looked up again. "I don't think Charlie would be very happy…if he were the reason you didn't."

"You may be right," Jack admitted, stepping away. "Listen, I gotta go talk to Carolyn. Sam forgot to pick up some CD she had for the father-daughter dance at the wedding."

Daniel sighed and watched him go, but finally cleared his throat as his friend reached the door to the doctor's private office. "Hey, Jack…?" he called.

Jack half-turned, waiting, and Daniel shoved his hands into his pockets, staring at the floor as he walked over to join him. "Y'know, I've--I've never really thought about it before. I guess because, until I married Vala, I didn't _really _have anyone to come back to. But I've been thinking today… What we do--out there?--is pretty dangerous."

"Yeah," Jack nodded. "Guess it is."

"Well, Manda's…provided for…financially, I mean…" Daniel paused, frowning. "The best she can be anyway. But, if anything happens to me--I'd still like to know--y'know…"

"I'll take of her, Daniel," Jack promised, then smiled slightly. "Long as Vala lets me."

-------

"Shouldn't you be asleep?" Daniel asked quietly as he poked his head into the dimly lit VIP room where his wife and daughter were both very much awake.

The only light in the room now came from a soft lamp by Vala's bed, and he walked over, intending to turn it out, but found himself sinking down onto the mattress beside her.

"I thought you'd gone home," Vala said, smiling as he bent to kiss the baby, who gurgled and wriggled a happy greeting at the sight of him.

"I got about halfway," Daniel admitted, now turning her face to meet his lips. "Figured I could I sneak back in here without waking you two up."

"I had a nice long nap earlier," Vala murmured, letting her mouth linger close to his as their lips parted.

"I was there," Daniel smiled half-teasingly.

Vala shook her head, turning to look down at the baby in her arms. "Manda's not at all tired, either. Are you, darling?"

Manda offered a cheerful coo, and both parents smiled. Daniel felt his resolve melting already and knew that his fate as a doting father was firmly sealed.

"Look how happy she is," Vala grinned. "After a day like she's had, my sister Meagain would've been screaming herself to sleep. If she slept at all."

"Yeah," Daniel cleared his throat at the mention of her sisters. "That's the thing."

"What is?" Vala frowned.

"Well," Daniel pushed out his lower lip, considering his words carefully. "It's been a really long day. She'll be up in a few hours wanting to be fed. Alek says he'll be here with your sisters tomorrow. You and our…happy baby…are both going to need some rest."

Vala's frowned deepened, and finally she let out a reluctant sigh of agreement. Grinning at the baby again, she said, "Well, I suppose your Daddy just _had_ to be the voice of reason, didn't he?"

Daniel laughed softly, letting his hand slide gently up her arm. He'd intended to take the baby and settle her in the crib on the other side of the bed for a while. Instead, though, he bit his lip pensively and didn't move. "Y'know, the--the truth is, I'm actually kinda scared."

"Are you?" Vala asked, though she didn't sound as surprised as he thought she would.

"Well," Daniel shrugged. "Look at her, Vala. We have to--to--take care of her…and nurture her…teach her things…and--and I thought I was ready for that, but --for all the books I've read in the last two years since--since we decided to have a baby, all I really know for sure is--" he paused, shaking his head. "That I don't know the first thing about raising a child. According to Mitchell, I've already set fathers on this planet back two centuries."

Vala shook her head, gently pressing two fingers to his lips. "Who's counting, Daniel?" she asked softly, letting her forehead come to rest against his.

"Me, I guess," he murmured against her skin.

"I think," she told him, "That if either of us _weren't _scared tonight, we'd really have something to worry about."


	43. Roomies

**A/N: This chapter was inspired by and dedicated to The Noble French Fry's brothers. ;)**

**---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------  
**

"This is not how I envisioned spending our final weekend prior to officially resuming our duties as SG-1," Teal'c glowered as he backed the couch up the front steps. Although all four members of the team had actually been a part of Brannen Daegar's security escort the month before, Daniel had still technically been on leave¾and that leave had been extended following the team's return with the Jacksons' newborn daughter, Amanda. The team was finally scheduled for it's first official offworld mission since the baby's birth, but not for another two days. Meanwhile, since Cameron had finally managed to convince Teal'c to split the rent with him, most of the weekend would be occupied with moving. There was, of course, the promise of a housewarming party on Sunday evening, but at the moment, Sunday seemed very far away.

Cam, pushing the front end of the couch, was more interested in bobbing his head and singing along with the radio than anything his new roommate had to say. The song was a rather overplayed country pop hit by an artist Teal'c recognized as Shania Twain, the lyrics of which he found disturbing both in terms of content and the fact that Mitchell seemed to find them so meaningful.

_"Oh, oh, oh, go totally crazy-forget I'm a lady_

_Men's shirts-short skirts_

_Oh, oh, oh, really go wild-yeah, doin' it in style_

_Oh, oh, oh, get in the action-feel the attraction_

_Color my hair--do what I dare_

_Oh, oh, oh, I wanna be free-yeah, to feel the way I feel_

_Man! I feel like a woman!"_

Cam belted the song blithely, eyes closed, head moving in time with the blaring boom box that he'd used to prop open the front door when he and Teal'c began moving the last load of furniture and boxes from the U-Haul. Reaching the living room, Teal'c finally released his end of the couch, letting it crash pointedly to the floor.

"ColonelMitchell," he said calmly.

Cam's eyes popped open, bulging in surprise. "What was that for?" 

"In the future, if you in fact feel like a woman, I would prefer not to know," Teal'c replied, striding casually back out to finish unloading.

------

"Teal'c?" Cam called at the sound of the front door slamming. "That you?"

"Indeed," came the reply as the Jaffa's heavy, booted footsteps crossed the kitchen floor.

"Well, it looks like Jackson an' Vala ain't comin," Cam said, leaning forward on the couch to grab the remote and snap off the television. "They're havin' baby problems."

"Is AmandaJackson ill?" Teal'c asked. His footsteps halted in the kitchen and Cam heard the refrigerator door open.

"Naw, she's just cranky," Cam replied. "Vala don't wanna leave her with Nick, an' Jackson's just baby crazy anyway."

"ColonelCarter and O'Neill will also not be coming," Teal'c reported as the fridge swung shut again. "They have still been unable to convince the wedding caterer that they did not order five dozen black roses. Apparently, they are shopping for flower arrangements as we speak."

"Well, looks like the party's a bust then," Cam sighed.

"So it would seem," replied Teal'c as he appeared in the living room doorway. In one hand, he casually held a plastic bottle of water. The other arm cradled a golden retriever puppy that couldn't have been more than two months old, its tail beating happily against the Jaffa's arm.

"What is _that?"_ Cam exclaimed.

"Chewbacca," Teal'c's eyebrow rose.

"Chewbacca?" Cam repeated, running a hand over his face. "You're naming the dog after Chewie?"

"Indeed," replied Teal'c. He walked casually into the room and sat down on the other end of the couch, reaching for the discarded remote.

"I don't suppose anybody ever told you it's usually a good idea to talk things over with your roommate before bringing home a dog," Cam asked.

"Did you not express concern over the security of the house while we are offworld?" Teal'c asked.

"That's your idea of a watchdog?" Cam asked incredulously.

"It is," Teal'c said without hesitation.

"Aw, never mind…" sighed Cam, shaking his head. "This is gonna be an interesting experience."

"Indeed," agreed Teal'c.


	44. Memorable Events

Sam's forehead crinkled critically. She sighed again, looking down at the gown, which still didn't seem quite right. As she raised her eyes to the mirror again, Cassie and Vala appeared on either side of her. Vala carefully primped the dress again while Cassie took her hand.

"You look wonderful, Sam," she promised. "It's perfect.

"Do stop fussing, darling," Vala added.

Finally, Sam gave a reluctant nod. "All right," she said, turning to look over her shoulder. "Now, where's the veil?"

Suddenly, the bedroom door burst open and Teal'c's over-energetic canine friend bounded in, springing onto Tessa Hammond's bed to grab the shimmering veil in his mouth. Vala and Cassie spun around, racing to grab it from him, but the dog issued a playful challenge and darted back into the hall.

"Oh, no! Chewie!" Sam cried. "Vala! Get him!"

"I'm going, I'm going," Vala replied, throwing off her high heels and hiking up her bridesmaid's dress to run out after the dog.

As Vala's racing footsteps and the scrabbling of the puppy's claws retreated up the busy hall, Sam heard her friend shouting,

"Mitchell, grab him, quick!"

"Huh?" came Cameron's confused response, followed by the sound of the Maid of Honor chasing the puppy down the stairs.

"He's got the veil!" Vala explained as she ran. "Help me catch him!"

"Wha…dang it…Chewie!" Cam bellowed as his own heavy footfalls joined Vala's.

"I think I know where he's going," Cassie said a few moments later, as she glanced out the bedroom window. Outside, the guests had gathered, and Jack, Daniel, and Teal'c all stood waiting at the altar. Turning to look, Sam saw Chewie run out, heading unerringly toward his master, with Cam and Vala still running behind him. Somewhere along the way, they'd also picked up General Hammond, Vala's sisters, Jade, and Martouf.

Teal'c turned at their approach and calmly strode toward the puppy, but as soon as he started in Chewie's direction, the dog crouched playfully, barked again, and dashed off in the other direction. Daniel and Jack joined the chase as well, racing to get on either side of him, but Chewie squeezed through Jack's legs and headed for the fence.

"They'll never catch him now!" Sam declared, throwing off her own shoes and heading for the door.

"Sam, wait!" Cassie called after her, then sighed and followed her outside.

Jack's eyes went wide as Cassie and Sam, both in full wedding regalia, burst out Hammond's back door to join the fracas. At the sight of him, though, Sam froze, then scrambled back behind Cassie. Spotting them, Vala, Jade, and Carolyn rushed over as well, closing ranks around the bride.

"You're not supposed to see me before the ceremony, Jack!" Sam cried.

Jack raised his hands in a gesture of innocence, but before he could say anything, Cassie ordered, "Jack, close your eyes!"

"What?" he demanded.

_"Close your eyes!"_ repeated Vala and Carolyn adamantly.

Sighing, Jack raised a hand to cover his eyes. "Better?" he asked.

"Are they closed under there?" Sam replied worriedly.

"Teal'c," Vala directed, "Make sure his eyes are closed!"

The Jaffa's eyebrow shot upward, but at a glare from Vala, he turned and stepped over to Jack. Prying two of his friend's fingers apart, he peered between them and finally reported, "They are closed."

"Okay," Sam sighed with relief as Carolyn and her bridesmaids began to usher her back inside. Chewie, by then, had quietly wandered over to where Nick sat holding Manda. Standing on his hind legs, he leaned one front paw on Nick's knee and curled the other toward his chest, casually tossing the veil over the baby.

Daniel jogged quickly over to retrieve it before the dog changed his mind. Snatching the now soggy material between his fingers, he deftly avoided Manda's attempt to grab it. "No¾no wedding veils for you," he started to smile, but the expression abruptly shifted into a frown. "In fact…no dating until you're eighty-five."

Vala paused on her way inside with Sam, raising a hand to her forehead in dismay. She half turned while the others slipped inside, waiting for her husband to catch up. "Eighty-five?" she repeated.

"Ninety?" Daniel asked, handing her the veil.

She smiled fondly and took it, but as she turned to follow Sam, Daniel caught the glisten of tears in her eyes. His hand moved quickly to catch her arm, pulling her back toward him. "What's wrong?" he asked, searching her face.

"Nothing, darling," she assured him, moving to kiss his lips, but he jerked back, hands shifting to her shoulders.

"Vala…"

"It's a wedding, Daniel," Vala forced a smile. "Don't you know girls always cry at weddings?"

"Those aren't happy tears," Daniel shook his head.

Vala's smile grew both sad and grateful. She leaned forward, slipping her head onto his shoulder for a moment. "I suppose it's just--rather difficult…being married when I can't remember my own wedding."

"You're--you're remembering more every day," Daniel offered, his arms tightening around her.

"I am," Vala nodded. "Still mostly small things. Things I have to ask you or Sam to connect. There are holes, Daniel. And our wedding day is a big one," she sighed, looking up at him again. "Someday, Manda's going to ask me what it felt like the day I married her father. I have nothing to tell her."

"Then marry me," Daniel replied earnestly. "Right now."


	45. Getting There

"Are you serious?" Vala's eyes widened. 

Daniel nodded, smiling a little. "Of course, we'll, um, still have to ask Sam and Jack," he added.

Vala grinned, nodding vigorously in agreement before she pecked his cheek and spun around to race after Sam. Daniel shook his head with a touch of fond dismay and watched her go. As she disappeared, he turned and walked back over to Teal'c and Jack, who was still standing with his eyes covered.

"Um…Jack?" he cleared his throat.

"Daniel?" Jack responded, still not moving his hand.

"She's--she's gone, Jack," Daniel said.

"Really?" Jack asked.

"Yeah," Daniel nodded.

"Good," Jack replied, keeping his hand firmly over his eyes. Daniel frowned, shooting a questioning look at Teal'c, who turned from him to Jack and back again, raising an eyebrow.

"Uh, you can open your eyes, Jack," Daniel attempted.

"Oh, right," Jack let his hand drop.

Daniel sighed quietly and shook his head. "Listen. There's…um…something I need to ask you. Kind of a favor."

"Kind of?" Jack raised an eyebrow.

"Okay, it is a favor," amended Daniel.

"Okay…what?" asked Jack.

"Well, Vala's still can't remember our wedding," Daniel explained. "And I guess it's something that really bothers her--which--which-- I actually think is quite…understandable…"

"Yeah?" prompted Jack.

"So, I wondered if…" Daniel trailed off.

"If…?" Jack cocked his head to one side.

"Could we, uh…"

"Get married?" asked Jack.

"Yeah," Daniel nodded.

Jack frowned thoughtfully for a moment and finally smirked. "Why not?"

"Thanks…" Daniel started to say, but before the word was even completely out of his mouth, the heavy rumble of four pairs of running feet sounded behind them and he turned toward the house.

"Jack, don't look!" Carolyn ordered, stationing herself by the door.

Sighing again, the beleaguered groom turned his back. Daniel and Teal'c moved in front of him, folding their arms casually. Carolyn waited until she was sure he couldn't see anything and motioned an all clear to the bridal party before heading for the driveway herself. Sam followed her out, trailed by Cassie and Vala, who were each carefully holding up the train of her dress.

"What's going on?" Daniel called, still trying to sound casual.

"We're going to get my dress!" Vala yelled over her shoulder as she and Cassie helped Sam into Daniel's car. "Manda has to go down for a nap in half an hour, Daniel. I don't want her cranky at the ceremony! Don't forget!"

"I won't," he sighed as Jack walked over to the altar again and faced the waiting guests.

"Uh…folks…?" he called, raising his hand for attention. "There's gonna be a slight delay…"

------

"Oh, it has to fit!" Vala squealed fretfully. They had driven all the way back to her and Daniel's house from General Hammond's, where the wedding was being held, and spent nearly an hour already hunting through various trunks and boxes that Daniel had stowed haphazardly in the attic.

"It will fit, Vala," Sam promised, biting her lip as she tugged harder on the zipper. "Just--suck in!"

Vala inhaled deeply while Cassie and Carolyn tugged determinedly on shoulders of her dress. Finally, the zipper flew upward, and Vala staggered forward as Sam let go. "Ugh!" she exclaimed, air exploding from her lungs. "Thank goodness! Now. Shoes?"

"Here," Cassie said, turning to pick them up.

Vala quickly took them and had bent up her foot to slip the first one on when a cell phone rang. All four women looked back toward the pile of purses on a nearby armchair, asking,

"Is that me?"

"I think it's you…"

"No, it's not mine."

"It's yours, Vala," Carolyn finally said, and Vala hopped over, one foot still in the air, to pick it up.

"Hello?" she asked absently, wiggling the fingers of her free hand until Sam handed her the second shoe.

"Vala, how far are you?" Daniel asked, and she froze at the sound of their screaming child.

"I'm at the house," she replied. "Why's she crying? What's wrong?"

"I dunno why she's crying. She--she wants Mommy; she won't go to sleep," Daniel let out a breath in frustration.

Jack's voice sounded beside him, surprisingly at ease. "C'mere, Monkey, come see Uncle Jack…" Manda cried louder as soon as he had her, though, and he coughed. "Okay…let's try Teal'c. You want Teal'c?"

"I believe we have established that she wants Mommy, O'Neill," Teal'c rumbled.

"Well…Teal'c--Mommy, what's the difference?" Jack replied.

Vala briefly closed her eyes, shaking her head at their antics. "We're almost through, Daniel. I'll be there as soon as I can."

"Hurry…" Daniel replied as she hung up.

------

"Vala, slow down!" Sam protested for the fourth time, nervously watching the speedometer climb past 89 MPH, onto 90, and then beyond.

"We're already late, Sam," Vala reminded her. "Now the baby's crying, and the guests are getting restless."

"Which we won't be able to do anything about if we don't make it there," Sam pointed out.

"Oh, don't worry!" Vala assured her. "I take Daniel's car this fast all the time!"

"That's what worries me," Sam replied.

"Trust me!" Vala grinned. A moment later, a siren began to sound behind them and she bit her lip. "Uh-oh…"


	46. Till Death

"Thank you, sir…_sirs_," Daniel amended, watching in amazement as General Landry gently settled Manda back in her baby carrier and the baby's eyes slid contentedly closed. Landry and Hammond had come inside to find Daniel, Nick, Jack, and the other male members of SG-1 fruitlessly trying interest Manda in a nap. The baby, however, wanted Vala, and the more they tried, the louder her wails of protest became, until the generals had shucked off their dress uniform jackets and taken turns jiggling, bouncing, making funny faces, and singing to her.

"It was our pleasure," Landry said, still smiling down at Daniel's sleeping daughter. "Wasn't it, Monkey?"

Daniel raised a hand to his face, slowly shaking his head as he realized that, despite his best efforts, Jack's nickname had somehow attached itself to Manda already.

"Looks like you haven't lost your touch, George," spoke up Jacob Carter, leaning casually in the doorway.

"Yeah," grinned Cam. "Score one for our side!"

"Y'know, I bet she likes you so much 'cuz you look like her, George," Jack remarked, cocking his head thoughtfully at Hammond.

"I _what _?" the General's eyes widened.

"You know," Jack said, pointing to his own head in explanation. "That's why she likes Teal'c, too."

Teal'c raised an eyebrow questioningly.

"C'mon," Jack sighed. "She's bald…you…used to be bald…"

Daniel sighed again, but before he could comment, the phone he had stuffed into his pocket rang, and he hurriedly fumbled it out before it could wake up Manda. "This--this is Dr. Jackson," he said.

"Daniel…?" Vala squeaked in an overly sweet tone that he immediately recognized as trouble.

"Vala, why aren't you back yet?" he asked, keeping his voice low.

"How's Manda?" she asked.

"Sleeping. You're avoiding my question," Daniel said pointedly.

"Well…you see, darling, we've had a bit of a problem," she trailed off.

"What kind of _problem_?" he asked, closing his eyes in exasperation. "Where are you?"

"Well, um. In jail…"

"What?" Daniel's eyes flew open again. "Whaddaya¾whaddaya mean you're in jail?"

"That police officer was just so fresh, Daniel. He was asking for a good slap in the face," she asserted.

"You're telling me you slapped a police officer on Sam's wedding day?" Daniel grit his teeth.

"You should've seen what he tried to do to _me_!" she huffed indignantly.

Daniel heaved a sigh. "Vala, y'know--y'know--I--I don't even know!"

"Hey! For better or worse?" Vala reminded him hopefully. "Isn't that how it goes?"

"Yeah," Daniel growled. "Then it goes 'till death do us part'--and the death part is coming!"

"Don't be so pessimistic, darling," Vala said cheerfully.

Daniel opened his mouth to reply, but a sudden click signaled an end to the connection. "Vala?" he asked, frowning in confusion. "Hello? _Hello?! _Vala!"

Jolting awake at her father's sudden shout, Manda began to wail again. Groaning, Daniel hurried to pick her up. "No, no, Manda, honey, don't cry! Daddy's sorry!"

Watching, Teal'c slowly turned toward Cam. "Let us go, ColonelMitchell," he suggested.

"Right," agreed Cam, slinging his uniform jacket over his shoulder as they started for the door.

"Hey, where are you two going?" Jack demanded.

"Somebody's gotta bail the bridal party outta jail," Cam replied. "'Sides, I think it'll be safer there."

"Indeed," muttered Teal'c.

------

"How'd it go?" Sam asked as the guard led Vala back into the cell. He didn't bother hiding the smirk at the sight of four women in wedding attire attempting to avoid sitting in the grimy enclosure, and Sam barely caught Vala's arm in time to forestall a caustic remark.

"Well," Vala let out a long sigh. "He _did _mention something about death. But I'm fairly sure he was joking."

"I doubt it," Sam shook her head.

"Well," Vala grinned. "He'll be over it by the time they get here. And if not¾I can handle him. Nothing to worry about."

"Right," Sam folded her arms over her chest, starting to lean against the wall in frustration.

"Sam!" Cassie warned, and she froze, quickly straightening again.

Pressing a hand to her forehead, Sam half turned, stiffening as she narrowly avoided brushing the wall again with her white gown. She grit her teeth in a determined effort not to cry, but Vala bit her lip, moving hesitantly over to her.

"Sam…?" she began. "I'm sorry. I've ruined your wedding day."

"You haven't--" Sam started automatically, looking up again. She paused, frowning. "Well, actually, yeah, you kinda have."

Vala sighed, nodding painful agreement. "Forgive me?" she asked earnestly.

Sam hesitated very briefly, then leaned forward until the two women's heads touched. "Yeah," she nodded, closing her eyes.


	47. Sunset

"Loosen up, Sam," Jacob whispered, more than two later as he slowly marched down the aisle with a bride on each arm. His tone was light, but his eyes when he smiled down at her sparkled with unshed tears. She smiled back and turned quickly away to stay her own tears, keeping her eyes steadily on the altar where Jack and Daniel had turned to watch their entrance.

Vala tried to offer her friend a reassuring glance, but found her own emotions suddenly and inexplicably off kilter. She inhaled deeply in an attempt to steady her nerves, and reminded herself that there was _no _reason for her heart to be hammering like this. After all, she and Daniel had been married for years. despite its rather turbulent beginning, their relationship had moved at least _relatively_ smoothly from friendship to courtship and finally to matrimony. Sam and Jack had spent the majority of the last ten years essentially pretending that they had no romantic feelings for one another. But as they reached the altar and Daniel's hand tightened on hers, she felt a rush of tears threatening to spoil her painstakingly applied make-up.

"Glad you could make it," Jack smirked teasingly as he accepted Sam's hand.

"Yeah, well, um…" she blushed .

"Who knew it was a crime to flirt with a policeman," Vala winked.

Daniel shot her a half-hearted glare, but his expression melted immediately into a warm smile. His emotions were already running high, too, Vala noted, smiling as she reached up to wipe his damp cheek with her palm.

As earnestly as he tried, Jack couldn't keep his mind--or his eyes--on the minister as the typical oration on marriage droned on. All he saw was Sam, becoming completely fascinated with her trembling smile, the smooth roundness of her shoulders, the tiny roses embroidered on her sleeves. The late afternoon sun gleamed against the ivory gown, making her ethereal to eyes already blurred with tears, and her mother's pearl necklace added the perfect touch of class and elegance.

"Jack! " Daniel hissed. "Pay attention!"

He locked his jaw as the ceremony continued, fought a yawn, and accidentally caught Vala's gaze. She rolled her eyes and flashed a quick, knowing grin. Unwillingly, he found himself grinning along before Sam's elbow caught him in the ribs.

He honestly didn't remember much between that and when he turned to take the ring from Teal'c. He did, however, clearly remember almost dropping the gold band in his nervousness, and finally managing to get it on her finger while she struggled not to laugh. A few minutes later, Daniel and Vala finished as well, and both couples heard the all important words.

_"Gentlemen, you may now kiss your brides…"_

------

Following the wedding, the Hammonds' yard doubled as the reception hall. The rows of chairs that had formed the aisle were cleared and tables set up with space between them and the house for dancing. The delay had long since cost them the hired entertainment, so in lieu of a band, Jack and Cam pulled their trucks down off the driveway and opened the doors, setting both of their stereo systems to maximum.

This, of course, meant that the majority of the dance music was provided by a local radio broadcast. Sam, at least, still had the Peter Cetera CD she had borrowed from Carolyn when she before she had finally chosen a father/daughter song for herself and Jacob. With only one set of speakers to play the song, the volume was considerably lower, and she and Jacob found themselves dancing beside her new husband's truck. The sun was beginning to set by then, and the grass was already damp with early dew. She sighed softly as the song began, realizing there was no hope of saving her dress from grass stains now.

Jacob smiled, slowly tilting her face to look at him, and then reached for her wrists. He lifted her arms around his neck, and Sam's brow furrowed in confusion, but a moment later, her father lifted her off the ground, setting her firmly on the tops of his shoes.

"Dad…" Sam protested.

"Hey, c'mon," Jacob chided gently. "You don't wanna get your dress dirty do you?"

"I guess not," Sam admitted, settling her head on his shoulder.

"I love you, Sammie," he said hoarsely, quickly pressing his lips to her hair.

Carolyn watched with tears in her eyes through the first chorus, and was only half surprised to feel her father's hand on her arm as the second verse began. She sighed a little, but only offered a token protest before allowing him to lead her out toward the truck. They were followed a few moments later by Cassie, who was escorted by Jack on her right arm and Teal'c on the left. Daniel smiled with a touch of sadness as he bent to whisper in Vala's ear.

"I've gotta get in on this…"

She nodded understanding. All four members of SG-1 had been close to Cassandra and her adopted mother, but of them, Daniel's relationship with Janet had been the closest. Though he seldom spoke about it, she knew that, in his own way, he felt as strong a connection to Cassie now as Sam or Jack.

Standing apart with her sisters and Manda, though, she felt a tug of loneliness. She had been a bride today, but now it seemed the rest of the wedding party all had family…fathers…of a sort which she hardly remembered.

_Your father isn't coming back, Vala,_ she heard again, sighing as Meagain and Danira's arms linked around her.

Nick walked slowly up to them, offering Vala his arm. "May I?" he smiled.

Vala smiled falteringly and her eyes widened. "Oh--I--Nick--me?"

His smile widened as Meagain wordlessly lifted Manda out of her mother's arms. Vala, still looking somewhat confused, slipped her arm through his and followed him over to the growing group by the truck. Daniel's eyes momentarily caught hers and he grinned before turning back to Cassie.

_…Little woman gonna break your heart_

_Gonna miss her when you're both apart_

_She's a lady, but she'll always be Daddy's Girl…_


	48. Afterglow

**  
**

Vala's and her sisters were still giddy with excitement. Though none of them had been overly impressed with his culture's idea of an appropriate wedding ceremony, they were entranced with Jade having caught Sam's bouquet. Still, as thrilled as they all seemed to be with the idea of Jade and Martouf exchanging vows, Meagain and Vala weren't above teasing Danira that the promise of future nuptials should have gone to herself an Alek. Danira, rather than protesting demurely, expressed vigorous agreement, and launched into another giggling fit.

Nick sighed with tired fondness and bid them goodnight, kissing both Vala and Manda before heading up the stairs. Daniel, watching him go, felt a moment of envy for his grandfather, knowing that it would be quite a while yet before he might be afforded the peace and comfort of his own bed. His gaze turned to Manda, though, and a smile returned.

"I'll get her ready," he said quietly to Vala as he lifted the baby from her arms.

She nodded agreement and kissed his cheek, but Manda let out a squeal of protest, much preferring to stay in the exciting company of her mother and aunts. Daniel shook his head. "Time for bed now, Monkey," he said as he kissed her.

Even after a warm bath and a feeding, though, Manda had no interest in settling down for the night. Daniel smiled to himself, leaning on the crib rail to watch her. At least with Vala nearby, she was unlikely to repeat this afternoon's crying performance. It seemed that as long as Manda knew where both her parents were, she was indeed the "happy baby" that Vala had exclaimed over the night she was born. The one thing she didn't like was sleeping at night.

Daniel propped his chin on his arms, watching her thoughtfully for a while. She looked back up at him, blinking occasionally, but showing no sign of being ready to go to sleep. The opening verse of Sam and Carolyn's father/daughter song ran through his mind and he had to smile again.

_When the sun goes down and it's getting late_

_You say it's time for bed_

_She just takes her time_

_Acting like she never heard a word you said_

_Little baby wanna hold you tight_

_She don't ever wanna say good night_

_She's a lover, she wanna be Daddy's Girl…_

"Are you Daddy's girl, Manda?" he asked.

She burbled cheerfully at the attention, and he couldn't resist the urge to pick her up again. Cuddling her to his chest, he hummed a few bars, and then picked up the song at the chorus, dancing slowly around the room with her as he sang.

Vala found them a few minutes later, and cleared her throat as Daniel finished the song for a second time. He looked up, startled, and his eyes bulged as he hurried back to the crib with their daughter.

"Uh…hi!" he offered.

"I thought you were putting her to sleep," Vala grinned.

"Well, um…she wasn't tired?" Daniel attempted.

"Right," Vala said, slipping back out into the hall. "Hurry up, Daniel, before _I _get too tired…"

_Finis_

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_As a final note: this series does have multiple parts set later in Daniel and Vala's marriage._They were written as sequels because I fully intended to stop this AU after Fire and Water, but readers asked for more, and challenge prompts gave me the necessary inspiration.

_They will be posted in the upcoming future. I am not sure when. If you enjoyed Fire and Water and Rediscovered Hearts, feel free to add me to your Author Alerts subscription. __**DON'T subscribe to a story alert for this fic; you won't get update notices because the story itself is complete.**_

_In chronological order, the series is:_

_-Interlude _( a loosely interconnected collection of fics set in the same universe as Fire and Water. They were written after the series itself, so I don't include them as part of it. )

_-Rediscovered Hearts _(a 46 chapter epic set in the third year of Daniel and Vala's marriage, involves the birth of their first child and an exploration of Vala's past.)

_-In The Moment (_a loosely interconnected collection of fics similar to the Interlude set. They were written shortly after I wrote Rediscovered Hearts, but take place before _Beyond Breaking_.

_-The Promise of Thorns_ (an SGA fic set in the same verse. It's the SGA equivalent to Fire and Water, kicking off a crossover sequel called Beyond Breaking.)

_-A Rediscovered Christmas (_ a Christmas series set in the RH universe. Hijinx abound when Vala's Santa Trap actually works. Just silly, but I had lots of fun writing it.)

-_Beyond Breaking (_ the planned followup to RH and Promise. I and some of the RH readers on LJ readers were speculating about season 10 and what might happen if the Ori returned in the RH AU somewhat later than they did in canon. About six chapters have been written, but the end of SG-1 s10 and SGA s3 really blew the fic out of the water. It will be done eventually, just don't know when.)

-_Idyll Days (_the final collection of short interconnected fics in this AU, set after the resolution of the Ori conflict)

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I am aware that there are a few inconsistencies in terms of organizations and characters in this fic from the way that season 10 played out. It was written in its entirety before those plots had developed, and since it was AU, I elected not to try to re-write it but leave it intact. Reviews are welcome and appreciated, positive or negative.


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